A Balanced World
by Seldevaisilion
Summary: Harry has decided to return for his seventh year at Hogwarts. As he struggles to figure out the events of his summer, a stranger enters Hogwarts in the middle of the night, bringing great changes to the school and to Harry and Draco's final year.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That enviable right belongs to J.K. Rowling. I also do not own any references made to Lord of the Rings or Anne McCaffery's Pern novels. The things in this story that are mine are the non-HP and non-LOTR events you'll hear about, most of the minor (and some of the not-so-minor) characters, and maybe the plot (but I could be wrong). As a final warning in case you didn't read the summary, this story will eventually have slash of the HD and GS variety and maybe some others, I don't know what my muse might have in store for me so we'll see. It will also be heavily AU so don't expect to understand everything you read right off and don't get mad if I do something you don't agree with. Now enough of the boring stuff and on to the story before my muse bites me again!

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Alright... here's the intro. Just so you guys know this is my first Harry Potter fic, and my first fic that I have ever posted. K now that you know what to expect I'll tell you there won't be any slash for a while. I build up to this stuff and try and provide a likely scenario so please bear with me. That's all the boring stuff... enjoy!

A Balanced World

**Introduction**

In the darkness of midnight, a young boy woke. There was nothing in his room, no sounds from outside and even his owl was away. He stared at the ceiling for a while and tried to figure out what had woken him up this time.

These nighttime awakenings had been occurring more often recently, and Harry Potter had a good idea why. After all, it had been just over two years since Lord Voldemort had regained his body. Harry waking in the middle of the night due to events miles away was nothing unusual. This time though, Harry couldn't find anything wrong. His scar didn't prick, itch, or tingle like it would if Voldemort had been up to something and he felt perfectly normal, only he was awake.

Just to be sure there was nothing wrong, Harry stood up and moved to the window. There was nothing moving on the street outside and, more importantly in Harry's mind, all the street lamps were still lit. There was in fact nothing on the street that was not as it should have been. Feeling a little silly with his reaction, Harry went back to his bed and, with nothing to occupy his mind with, drifted back off to sleep.

The figure sitting on his horse continued to look at the window where the boy had been standing. He continued contemplating the window for another hour as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be waiting on a suburban street. The horse turned its head and snorted at its rider, who grinned to himself and nodded as if answering an unspoken question. Tugging sharply at the reigns, the horseman trotted off down the street.

Up in his room Harry woke once more and again looked out his window. He was sure this time that he had heard something that didn't belong in Little Whinging or anywhere near Privet Drive. When he checked the street though, there was still nothing to be seen.

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And since I know how annoying it is to receive such a short installment right off, I posted the first chapter at the same time...


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A week later Harry woke to his aunt banging on his door. Usually, he would be woken by her shrieks to get up and make breakfast. This morning Harry noticed that she sounded more… agitated? _No that's not it. _He thought. He finally settled on nervous and excited and only then realized what she was saying.

"Get up you!" his aunt shrieked through the door. "It's your seventeenth birthday, get up!" Harry stopped as he sat up, shocked. His aunt and uncle had never remembered his birthday before. He couldn't think of a reason for them to start caring about his birthday much less be happy about it.

"Get up and get to the shower!" his aunt continued. "Those _people,_" her voice sounded as if this description was hardly fitting, "will be hear soon, and they are not to be given the impression you have been mistreated. You better have packed already, and don't you forget anything. Who knows what kind of dangerous things you might have…" her voice trailed off as she went down the stairs.

It took Harry another moment for his brain to work out everything she had said. _Of course,_ he thought to himself as he walked to the bathroom, _that's why she's so happy. Dumbledore,_ and here Harry had to swallow against the lump in his throat. _He told them last summer that I would be leaving for good on my seventeenth birthday and going to live at Grimmauld Place. They probably looked it up and marked the calendar as soon as we left, _Harry thought bitterly as he showered.

He was of course just as happy to be leaving, as the Dursleys were to see him go. He had been so excited the previous day that no one could have stopped him from packing. He had managed to fit everything into his trunk including Hedwig's cage, but it had been a close fit, even with the charm that Hermione had used at the end of last year. Harry was a little shocked when he realized how much _stuff_ he had obtained in the last six years. Harry dragged the trunk down the stairs just in time to see his aunt step back from the window.

"Ah" was all she said. She looked him over, glancing distastefully at his hair. He seemed to check out though, because she waved him towards the dining room table where a full breakfast had been laid out for him. Harry gratefully ate it without a word to suggest it was out of the ordinary. Mrs. Weasly had written that he was to be picked up in the morning so the breakfast was just another part of making a good impression.

His Uncle Vernon grunted at him as he sat down and slid an envelope towards him across the table. Curious, Harry opened it to find a birthday card with a five pound note inside. He nodded his thanks to Uncle Vernon, who just grunted again as his aunt turned around.

"How will they come to pick you up this time?" She asked sounding a little nervous.

Harry glanced at the fireplace, which had been unblocked for the day, and shrugged. "Probably apparate." He said.

"What's that?" his uncle asked.

"Disappearing from one place and reappearing in another," Harry answered calmly as his uncle's eyes bulged. Aunt Petunia automatically reached for the window shade to close it and stopped.

"Would they be watching the house?" she asked cautiously, a note of panic slipping into her voiced. Harry shrugged again. "Well what's that then?" She asked pointing a shaking finger at the window. Harry looked and felt his jaw drop.

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Hope you enjoyed the beginning. Please review. I'll have the next chapter up soon.


	3. Chapter 2

To **fifespice:** He he you'll find out about the horseman soon enough. Glad you like it so far.

Well here we are again... In honor of my first reviews, and cause its my birthday and I'm feeling special, here is the next chapter. Enjoy...

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**Chapter 2**

Harry stared out the window as his aunt waited for an explanation. "Well?" she said still on the verge of panic.

Harry opened his mouth to respond and just closed it again at a loss for words. He was looking at what appeared to be a multicolored miniature dragon on the fence outside. He blinked again and rubbed his eyes, it was still there staring at him.

"Spit it out boy!" his uncle said gruffly, moving towards the window and now just as anxious as his wife.

"Well…" Harry said after another moment, "it looks like a very small dragon."

All the color drained out of Uncle Vernon's face as he said hoarsely, "A what?"

"I said it looked like a…" but as he spoke the creature jumped into the air outside and vanished. Harry blinked then there was a loud pop as three people appeared in the living room. Uncle Vernon jumped and automatically moving to Aunt Petunia's other side hoping to keep the visitors hidden from passerby who might look through the window.

"Ah, good morning!" Remus Lupin said cheerily to the Dursleys. "All set Harry?" he asked as Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor "Mad-eye" Moody picked up his trunk. Harry finished the last bite of toast and nodded. Grinning at him Lupin put a hand on his shoulder and said, "After you then." Harry waved at his aunt and uncle cheerily as he took one step forward and turned sharply to his left.

The sensation of apparating was just as distasteful as Harry remembered and on top of that, it brought to the surface painful memories from the last time he had apparated. Harry solemnly swore to himself that he would only apparate if there was no other choice once he was licensed.

Lupin squeezed his shoulder and said, "We'll get an appointment set up for you soon Harry," misinterpreting Harry's sad look. Harry merely nodded then asked the question that had been bugging him.

"Did you have anything watching the house before you arrived?" Harry asked.

Lupin immediately looked alarmed and shook his head, "Why?" he responded.

"There was a strange creature on the fence just before you arrived." Harry told him. "It looked like a very small dragon but I can't say more than that. It disappeared just before you appeared."

Lupin shook his head looking concerned, "We didn't have anything watching the place." He said. "Don't worry about it Harry, we'll figure it out. Meanwhile make yourself at home, seeing as that's where you are. I'll tell Ron and Hermione you're here, I'm sure they'll want to help." Harry nodded and settled down to unpacking. He couldn't shake the feeling though that the dragon had been keeping an eye on him and had gone to tell its master, whoever that was, that Harry had left Privet Drive.

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Did you like? Pls review or just send me a question you have :)


	4. Chapter 3

Thank you once again to my brave lone reviewer

As long as one person keeps reviewing I'll keep posting so keep em coming.

**fifespice** – good guess but that dragon isn't Draco's, though he'll get one later. Thanks for reviewing and glad you like it.

Right, now on to the story cause I wrote a bunch yesterday and it all has to go up at somepoint…

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Chapter 3 

The rest of Harry's summer went pleasantly considering how his summers usually went. He passed his apparition test without a hitch and spent his days completing his homework and lazing around with Ron and Hermione. The one noticeable difference for Harry was the lack of people in the house. Ginny didn't come and when he questioned Ron, he learned she was spending the summer with a friend. This suited Harry just fine, as he was glad she had found a distraction from him. At the same time though, he missed having someone to confide in.

Other than Ron and Hermione, Harry only saw five or six other people all summer long, and everyone he did see looked sad and depressed. The reason was obvious. Without Dumbledore to hold them together the Order of the Phoenix seemed to be dissolving in despair and Harry couldn't blame them.

It was with some trepidation that Harry packed up his trunk on the night of August 31. He had sworn to himself at the end of last year that he wouldn't return to school while Voldemort was at large. Mrs. Weasley had pointed out to him however, that he had no leads on where to go and until he did have one he might as well go and learn something useful. Harry had eventually given in to her argument about a week before and had been worrying about it ever since.

He sighed as he snapped the trunk closed. Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without Dumbledore. Harry closed his eyes and tried to fight back the tears. Thoughts of Dumbledore sent him spinning back in memory and it wasn't long before Sirius' face swam into view next to Dumbledore's. The tears came openly then, not noisy sobs, Harry was long past the righteous anger of grief, but just quiet tears as he remembered the people who had been taken from him.

Hermione checked in on Harry several times that evening but did not intrude on his reflections. She new that Harry had never really cried over either Sirius or Dumbledore, he had been angry to be sure, and he had grieved, but he had never let himself weep for them in public. She would keep checking on him but he needed to get these feelings out, so she left him to it. When she came back downstairs she saw Ron playing with Crookshanks. She grinned to herself as she watched.

Ron's attitude towards the cat had changed drastically since Hermione had started going out with him. He had finally worked up the courage to ask her out shortly after last term ended. Hermione had been thrilled that he had finally gotten around to it, privately admitting to herself that if he hadn't done anything before school started she would have taken matters into her own hands.

Hermione wandered over and watched amused as Ron teased Crookshanks with a feather. Soon Mrs. Weasly called them for dinner and Hermione went up to check on Harry again. He had apparently fallen asleep and she decided not to wake him. She would tell Mrs. Weasley to set some food aside in case Harry woke up later.

As soon as the door shut behind Hermione, Harry stood up. There was something outside that had caught his attention sometime after the tears had stopped, something that was calling to him, and he didn't want anyone to know he was stepping out. He crept down the stairs and through the hall, the portrait of Sirius' mother no longer the vocal banshee it had been since the end of the Black family line. Opening the door silently he slipped out onto the street. He crossed to the green in the middle of Grimmauld Place and looked up at the moon. It was full that night and very bright, turning the pavement silvery and making the shadows deeper.

After a long time, Harry couldn't say how long he stood there; he heard a strangled noise as if someone were trying desperately to say something. He looked around but all he saw was a little glimpse of something silver before he heard the pop of someone disapperating. Harry just stared at the spot one thought chasing through his brain _I was being watched!_ He shook himself and went straight for the door back into number twelve, hitting himself for having such a close call. It had probably been someone working for Voldemort watching him he knew, whether that person had been a willing servant or not, Harry didn't care much to find out.

In an alley on the other side of Grimmauld Place a mounted figure relaxed his grip on the sword at his side, still watching the dark haired boy as he made his way back to the concealed house. His mount however, seemed to be more interested in the spot where the other boy had stood with his wand pointed at the unsuspecting Harry. The horse snorted softly at the spot, his rider looked around and stared at the horse. The beast snorted again, more assuredly this time. The man just shook his head at life's coincidences, turned his mount, and set off away from Grimmauld Place.

As he placed his hand on the doorknob, he swore he heard what sounded distinctly like horse's hooves clopping away. He spun around again, his hand immediately going to his wand, but there was nothing moving on the street. Thoroughly shaken, Harry went back up to his room, unsure of how many people had been in Grimmauld Place that night.

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Hope you enjoy and pls pls pls review.


	5. Chapter 4

All right, I'm feeling generous so here's another chapter for you, enjoy…

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Chapter 4 

The next morning Harry, Ron, and Hermione all woke early. The morning was spent eating breakfast and helping Ron pack the last few items. Hermione just shook her head at that.

"Six years," she was saying as Harry opened the door to Ron's room, "Six years and you still don't pack till the morning we leave?" Ron was dodging his flying possessions as Hermione whisked them into the trunk. Harry ducked a flying textbook and left the two of them to finish.

He chuckled as he made his way downstairs for breakfast. Mrs. Weasley had outdone her usual extravagant self this morning. Breakfast was a full three-course affair complete with a banner wishing the three of them good luck in their N.E.W.T. year. Then, it seemed like an instant later to Harry, the three of them were waving goodbye just before they apparated to Platform 9¾.

Harry stepped out from under the archway they had apparated to and made an immediate b-line for the train. They had left early. So early that Hermione had been privately concerned they would have to wait for the train. Harry wanted to avoid every one. He didn't want them to know he was coming back and hoped to avoid the questions that would almost assuredly be put to him. Ron and Hermione for once did not try to change his mind or slow him down. They followed him right to the back of the train where he took the very last box in the car.

As Harry put his trunk on the rack he took the invisibility cloak from his pocket and with a meaningful look at his two friends slipped it over his head.

Ron sighed as he put his trunk and then Hermione's up on the rack, effectively hiding Harry's trunk from view. The two of them then sat down on the bench opposite Harry and proceeded to snuggle. This was, in Ron's opinion, the worst part of the whole scheme. Not that Ron didn't enjoy snuggling with Hermione, something they hadn't done nearly enough of that summer as far as he was concerned, it was just that he didn't like deceiving their friends into thinking that Harry really hadn't come back to school.

As it was, before the train left, all of the usual visitors stopped by. Neville came by looking for Harry and looked rather dejected when he didn't see him. Dean and Seamus stopped by as well and repeated Neville's performance. Luna Lovegood came by and blithely inquired if Harry was hiding in Ron's pocket, at which point Ron nearly threw her out the window. Luna merely glided away with a knowing smile on her face.

The last person to stop by before the train began moving was Ginny. Harry had expected to feel longing and regret when he saw her, but was glad to find he only felt calm acceptance. She stayed for a little longer than the others but left shortly before the train pulled out. As soon as he was sure no one else was going to stop by Harry pulled the cloak down to his shoulders on one side, leaving it up facing the door.

"You know mate," Ron said from across the car, "that's very unnerving." Harry merely shrugged and offered a lopsided grin.

"So what did you want to talk to us about Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry's face turned serious and he said quietly, "I think someone's watching me."

Hermione sighed, "Of course someone's watching you," she said, "The whole order has been on the lookout to make sure you were all right."

Harry just shook his head, "This is something different," he said, "I know the order has been following me around this summer, but for the times when I wasn't being watched, like just before I left Privet Drive and last night when I went out onto Grimmauld Place alone," at that Hermione gasped and looked scandalized. Harry just ignored her and continued, "At those times something else was watching me…"

When he had finished describing the creature and the sounds he had heard, Hermione's face had turned thoughtful. "Hmm I wonder," she said to herself.

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Is this going to be one of those times you run off to the library every evening for three months, then tell us what we need to know after we need to know it?"

She gave him another look and reached for her bag. "Do you read the muggle paper when you are on summer break?" she asked.

Harry shook his head, a little surprised by the question, "No," he said, "my aunt and uncle didn't like me asking questions about anything." She nodded understandingly and handed him a newspaper with no moving pictures.

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The chapters are going to get longer soon I promise. Pls review.


	6. Chapter 5

Back to Hogwarts we go, and what a long chapter. Thank you to all my reviewers hope you continue to enjoy this.

Jujubel5 – Glad you like it. Here are the longer chapters I promised.

fifespice – Have patience and you will learn all lol. As for Grimmauld's secret keeper you'll find out why they didn't need a new one soon but you are right about the thing in the muggle news. Just read on.

Thanks all for reading this, and enjoy.

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Chapter 5 

One glance at the front page was all Harry needed to realize why Hermione had saved this particular paper. The front page was taken up with a full color photograph of what appeared to be a solid gold tree with jewels for leaves. He recognized the background as being the main hall of Buckingham Palace and the unmistakable figure of the Queen shaking hands with a tall dark haired man.

The Queen appeared to be in her absolute best dress and Harry identified many members of Parliament and the Prime Minister standing in the background. The foreign man however appeared to be dressed in rather drab medieval garb, and Harry thought he could make out the glinting of armor from under the man's cloak. He was also definitely girt with a sword and to top the image off there was a silver horse standing behind him.

After staring at the picture for a while, Harry finally looked up at the headline. It and the article read…

CORNWALL SOLD!

Queen Trades Peninsula for National Debt and Gold Tree!

For those readers who are accustomed to vacationing on the shores of Cornwall new spots need to be found. Today in a world historic move the Queen and the combined assembly of Parliament sold the western peninsula to one Isilomir Thalionore for the sum total of the current national debt.

As the national budget is currently faced with a surplus for the year this puts England at the forefront of economic development. This enormous sum of money was not all though. The generous Thalionore, now owner of his own country, also gave the Queen the beautiful golden tree depicted above.

All is not as it seems in this affair however. "No humans will be allowed passed our borders," Says Thalionore, "and all current residents of the area will be relocated at my expense." This paper could not get any more information from Thalionore or any of his associates…

The article went on and on with speculation of what this Thalionore person would do with his own country. Harry read the first paragraphs three more times before passing the paper to Ron who took just as much time analyzing it as Harry.

When he finally looked up he said, "The picture's not moving." Hermione sighed irritably, but before she could berate Ron, Harry spoke.

"Someone had enough money to do all that?" he asked, his voice merely a whisper.

Hermione nodded, "And that's not all," she said pulling more newspapers from her bag, "Listen to these headlines… Mysterious Trees Prevent Access to Cornwall… Roads to Cornwall Vanish… Electrical Interference Prevents Aerial Photos of Cornwall… The list goes on and on."

"Well it sounds like this Thalionore made good on his promise then doesn't it?" said Ron, "'No human will be allowed on my lands' or something like that." Hermione nodded.

"People have been seen in there though," she said, "not since the wall of trees went up, but former residents reported being assisted by many tall foreign people while they moved."

"So this Thalionore guy had people to populate his new country and didn't want anymore?" asked Harry. Something wasn't quite making sense to him.

"Weren't you reading?" asked Hermione, sounding annoyed.

"Yes" responded Harry, still trying to think.

"Well," she said, "he told that reporter no humans would be allowed beyond his borders so…" she paused and took a deep breath, "I don't think he, or those people the residents talked about, were humans."

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The three spent the rest of the train ride the same way the most of the muggle world had spent the summer. They speculated on the new country's goals, attitudes and various other aspects. Harry examined the picture again and again. On his third examination he spotted a sour looking Rufus Scrimgoer, the current Minister of Magic, lurking in the background with the other miscellaneous officials.

When the train finally stopped in Hogsmede, Hermione packed up the newspapers and led the way out of the train. Harry followed the two of them, still under the invisibility cloak. The three of them got into a carriage, Harry patting the thestral before climbing in.

Despite the precautions the three had taken to get a carriage to themselves, Luna, followed by Dean, Seamus, and then finally Neville, joined Hermione and Ron. It would have been comical when Neville sat on Harry's lap if it hadn't been for Harry's expression when the cloak came off. Despite Harry's obvious bad mood at being discovered the three Gryffindors ecstatically asked every question they could think of about his summer.

Harry answered every question as quickly as possible and grinned to himself when Hermione told them off for asking so many questions. As the carriages made their way up the hill towards the castle, Harry could tell something felt wrong about the grounds. The others seemed to feel it to because they had all stopped talking. Harry looked away from the window to check their expressions and got a shock.

It wasn't that his friends weren't talking; it was just that no sounds were coming out of their mouths. Harry was about to ask why they were mouthing words behind his back when a tapping on the window caught his attention. No one else in the carriage seemed to notice it. The tapping came again, more insistently this time. Harry turned around, having a feeling of what could be making that noise.

Sure enough, as he faced the window he found himself staring into the whirling eyes of the miniature dragon. Harry's breath quickened as the dragon stared at him. Then it flew off towards the lake, but Harry could still see it even in the dark as he pressed his forehead to the glass. He watched as it circled around a dim object on the lakeshore that Harry couldn't make out. As he watched the dragon seemed to grow in size until it nearly blocked the lake from view.

Harry looked around to see if anyone else had noticed but they were still silently chatting to one another. As he looked back out the window, a cloud moved away from the full moon and as the silvery light fell on the dragon it reared up and keened at the sky. It was only then that Harry recognized what the dragon was standing over and he felt his insides grow hollow. It was Dumbledore's casket; and at its broken head a figure was standing and laughing at the moon.

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Harry jerked forward only to be restrained by several pairs of hands. He opened eyes he hadn't remembered closing and blinked at the blurry scene before him. Someone had taken his glasses off but that last image of the broken monument and the cackling figure was still burned in his mind. He was breathing hard too he noticed.

"Get him to lie down." Madam Pomfrey's voice came from behind the blurry figures.

"I'm all right." Harry told them. At least he tried to, but his throat was too raw to get the words out.

"Calm down Harry," said Hermione, sounding panicky and nervous to his right. Harry stopped struggling and reached his hand out to feel around on the bedside table. She put his glasses in his hand and he nodded his thanks.

"Here drink this then we'll get you settled in for the night." Said Madam Pomfrey coming up to him and elbowing a fretful looking Professor McGonagall out of her way. "No there is no sleeping potion in this one dear," she told him as he looked at the goblet. "I'll give that one to you after Minerva finishes with her questions."

Harry nodded again and took the goblet. He drained it slowly at first, then more quickly as the warm liquid loosened his throat. When he had finished he spoke before anyone else could. "How did I get here from the carriage?" he asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged the same worried glance that they did whenever Harry had one of his weird episodes. "Well," began Hermione, "the seven of us were sitting in the car and you were starring out the window. You seemed to have nodded off or something because when the carriage stopped and everyone left you didn't move." She stopped and swallowed. "We tried to wake you Harry," she continued after a moment her voice sounding sad and shaky, "but you weren't sleeping..." She apparently couldn't go on because she turned away shaking.

Harry starred at her back until Ron spoke up. "I grabbed your shoulder mate, to wake you up you know? And you just sort of fell back on the seat. Your eyes were open and everything but they looked glassy." Ron, too paused to swallow before continuing, "You were breathing pretty fast so I tried to pick you up to bring you here but… but… when I touched you again… your eyes rolled up into your head and you let out this deathly shriek…" that was as far as he could go too apparently, because he turned away and Harry turned to Professor McGonagall shocked as she continued.

"The whole school heard you Mr. Potter," she said sounding as shaky as Hermione had, "I came running and whisked you up here immediately. Your heart had stopped and you weren't responding to anything until you just bolted up." She too looked away briefly but then brought her gaze back. "I'm glad you're all right Harry." Harry blinked at her as she mopped her eyes. He couldn't ever remember hearing her use his first name alone before.

"I… died?" he asked hollowly.

"Nonsense Mr. Potter," said McGonagall, sounding more like her usual self, "you just had a bit of a scare that's all… probably a bad dream…" the image of the cracked tomb threatened to swallow Harry's vision again as she said this last part, but he forced it away.

"I'll go inform the rest of the school that everything is all right with you." McGonagall said briskly standing up. "I'll have food sent up here for you three as well…" she added but was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh no you don't Minerva," she said, "This boy is to have bed rest. His heart may still be a little weak after what happened to him. These two," she gestured at Ron and Hermione, "can go down to the feast with everyone else and help stop the rumors that are bound to crop up."

Ron looked like he wanted to protest, but Harry waved them off. "Go and enjoy the feast and say hi to everyone for me," he told them, striving to sound like him self and only achieving a halfway decent imitation. They nodded wished him goodnight and left the infirmary behind McGonagall.

Madam Pomfrey came over with the sleeping potion and watched as he drank it all. She harrumphed in a satisfied manor as she went off to wash the goblet. As soon as she was in her office, Harry swallowed the antidote he had summoned while she wasn't watching. He pretended to be asleep when she checked on him and as soon as she had withdrawn for the night, he slipped out of bed, changed back into his school clothes and slipped out of the infirmary. He donned the invisibility cloak and headed for the castle doors. He had to be sure it hadn't been real.

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Wow that was a long one. Hope you like my little tale. Pls review, and I'll keep posting.


	7. Chapter 6

Ok here is where the cast of sub-characters I mentioned finally shows up. Hope they don't annoy you too much.

**XmichiyoX** – Glad you like it and hopefully it'll be less confusing as more characters show up and explain things. As to my mind games, I must be slipping if you noticed them lol, but yes, I greatly enjoy them.

**fifespice** – Interesting theory, but no he's not a vampire, I don't think they were around when Isil was first ummm… well he wasn't really born… but anyway you get the idea. Read on you'll find out soon.

**Jujubel5 – **Ahhh very good, Isil is related to the dragon, you'll find out how next chapter. Read on and we'll see if your inklings are right.

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**Chapter 6**

Madam Rosmerta watched from the window of the Three Broomsticks as the students clambered from the train into the carriages. She sighed as she turned back to the few customers at the bar. It was going to be a difficult year she knew, now that the school had lost Dumbledore. After awhile the sounds of the students had faded away and the Hogwarts Express chugged off into the distance.

Rosmerta was chatting pleasantly with one of the older women of the village when a new and unexpected sound reached her ears. A clip clopping could be heard from the street outside. The tavern went silent as every head turned towards the door. Rosmerta frowned as she looked at the door herself. _No one rides horses around here, _she thought. The sound had definitely stopped right outside the tavern's door, and sure enough, the door opened to reveal a strange figure indeed. _Which is saying something,_ thought Rosmerta as she glanced at the hag nursing a Fire Whisky.

The figure stepped up to the bar, a slight chink could be heard as he, Rosmerta finally realized, moved through the tavern. He was tall and thin with raven black hair that reminded Rosmerta of Harry Potter. When he lowered the cowl of his cloak, she saw that the resemblance ended with the color of the hair. Where Harry's hair was always wind-blown and messy, this man's hair was straight and smooth. He also had sharp eyes that glinted blue in the firelight. When the man spoke, his English, though excellent, had a strange accent that Rosmerta could not pick out.

"I'm looking for Albus Dumbledore," the man said in an even voice. His eyes flashed around the room as everyone gasped. "I believe his castle is called Hogwarts," the man went on, "Could you tell me where it is? I was under the impression he lived in this area."

Everyone in the tavern was staring at the man now. He was regarding them with an air of guarded interest, almost as if looking for threats. _How can he not know where Hogwarts is? You can see it from the doorway…_ thought Rosmerta. "Tha'sh a good one lad," said an old wizard further down the bar, breaking the tension in the room and moving over to sit next to the stranger, "Dumbledore died at the beginnin' of the shummer… shorry to break the newsh to you… right shame it wazsh too… come have a drink to wash the shadnesh from yer heart." He put his hand on the stranger's elbow and tried to move him to the next stool over.

The stranger did not move but took the old man's hand with his own. Rosmerta thought she noticed the torchlight glint off metal under the cloak but she couldn't be sure. The stranger looked at the man kindly as he placed the man's hand back on the bar. "Directions is all I need young one," he said to the astonished man, "I have no need to grieve for those not yet departed."

The old wizard let out a chuckle, "I am not sho young asszh that, laddy, you can' be more 'an twenty, and here I am sittin' on a full eighty yearsh!" he let out another guffaw as he took another drink. The stranger merely nodded and patted the man's shoulder, as Rosmerta was apt to pat the students who came through to talk to her. There was sadness in his eyes Rosmerta thought, as the stranger listened to the man's directions, but it was not the sadness of grief, more the sadness of the acceptance of something inevitable.

The stranger smiled at the old man as he finished with his fourth repetition of the one-sentence directions. "Jusht keep headin' uphill, you can' missh it." The old man said once again. The stranger just nodded and stood up to leave. "Thank you child," he said as he moved towards the door. The man snorted again and a grin lit up the stranger's face. As he put up his cowl to step out he said, "50,000 years is a long time to live friend. I envy your short eighty." Every eye was on the stranger again as he stepped out into the night.

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The stranger moved up the high street, his horse now nowhere to be seen. The wind whipped his cloak out behind him as he walked and the clouds skittered away from the moon. The man proceeded up the hill towards the gates of Hogwarts. His grin widened in the moonlight as he approached the gates. All he saw of the proud structure and the castle beyond was a ruin, decrepit and deserted.

The man lifted his hands and placed his palms flat against the ruined gate. He opened his mouth and spoke but the words that resulted were not of the English language. In a calm and almost musical voice the man spoke to the gate, "Nan Isilomir Thalionore. Tulan ve ne quete. Edro an i turlya!"

As the last echo of his voice died away, the gate in front of him seemed to shimmer in the air. Slowly the newly rebuilt gate swung open and admitted the stranger onto the moonlit grounds of Hogwarts.

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Hagrid noticed the movement outside his cabin from the direction of the ground's gate. _Now tha' ain't righ',_ thought Hagrid, moving over to the window. Fang growled at the door behind him. It took Hagrid a second but he picked out the figure moving away from the shadow that was the gate to the grounds as the gate itself swung closed.

Hagrid picked up his crossbow and headed out with Fang at his heels. _Ain' no one who can open those gates but me and the Professor, _he thought to himself, as he made straight for the figure still moving across the grounds, _an I know I locked em behind the carriages earlier_.

"Alrigh' there you, slow up an' lemme see yer face," he said as he approached raising his crossbow. The figure stopped and peered at Hagrid from under his hood. Hagrid saw the moonlight glint off the stranger's eyes but the man did not lower his cowl.

"No funny business now," said Hagrid, waving the crossbow threateningly while Fang growled behind him, "Lemme see yer face." The stranger did not speak to Hagrid. In fact, he seemed to have no interest in the ground's keeper at all. He knelt down and spoke to Fang instead.

"Tule si, seldohuaneva," the stranger said. Hagrid stared at the man as Fang stopped growling abruptly and crept nervously toward the stranger. When the boar-hound was a few feet away from the kneeling man, Fang looked up under the hood. He stared at the man, and then, without a sound, crouched down and put his head between his paws.

Hagrid starred at his dog as the stranger reached out and patted Fang's head. _Fang wouldn' let a stranger touch 'im like tha'_ Hagrid thought still starring as Fang's tail began wagging furiously. The man spoke again, this time in English

"Hagrid, is it?" he looked up at the half-giant. Hagrid nodded, startled that the man knew his name. "Please go to the castle and tell Minerva McGonagall that an old friend is waiting for her with Dumbledore by the lake," the man said.

"Dumbledore's dead," Hagrid said flatly, regaining himself and remembering who had the crossbow, "An who are you askin' for the professor at this time o' nigh'?" Hagrid asked. The man nodded as if to recognize the validity of the question.

"A very old friend from a long time ago," the man said. "Tell Minerva that the badger has been called." Hagrid blinked again and, very reluctantly, turned to go up to the castle. He saw the rustle in the edge of the trees and relaxed a little. The centaurs were keeping an eye on the man.

"You may go with him, seldohuaneva," the stranger said, once again addressing Fang. The boarhound stood up and gave the stranger's hand a parting lick before following Hagrid to the castle. The man watched as Hagrid disappeared inside the castle and then turned towards the lake. He moved casually, knowing full well where he was going and who was watching him.

He reached the marble edifice that marked Dumbledore's grave. He stood there looking at the tomb for a few minutes before speaking to the night air.

"You may take that off Mr. Potter," he said, "you won't be needing it." When nothing happened, the man held up his hand and the wind carried the invisibility cloak into his open palm.

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Well there you are. Just a bit more plot to go through and then the one and only Draco shows up. Keep reading and pls keep reviewing. It makes my muse happy, and the happy muse writes more. Till next time.


	8. Chapter 7

Yay for my three readers. I hope there are more of you out there and your just too unmotivated to press the review button. In any case I hope every one who reads this enjoys it.

**XmichiyoX** – I try my best. Thx for the review.

**fifespice** – Yet another good guess but not quite. Read on my friend.

**Jujubel5 – **Yes 50k years is a while, though his armor doesn't need that much maintenance. Thx for reviewing and keep reading.

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**Chapter 7**

As Harry reached the castle doors, he caught a glimpse of Hagrid moving away along a different corridor, Fang at his heels. Harry slipped outside and saw the figure walking calmly towards Dumbledore's tomb by the lake.

Harry was once more assaulted with the vision of the wailing dragon and the laughing man but pushed it aside. If that person on the grounds was responsible for destroying Dumbledore's grave, Harry wanted to make him pay for it. He moved off down the grounds as fast as he could without having the cloak slip up and reveal him. The man was just standing looking at the tomb as Harry came up behind him.

Suddenly the man spoke, "You may take that off Mr. Potter; you won't be needing it."

Harry stopped dead where he was. This man knew him and he knew he was standing there. The man held up his hand and Harry felt the wind gust around him. Before he could grab hold of the cloak, the wind had carried it into the man's hand.

"Ah that's better," the man said, motioning Harry to step up next to him. "Now then was there something you wanted to ask me?"

Harry looked sideways at the man standing next to him. The man had lowered his cowl when he had arrived at the tomb, revealing long straight hair as black as Harry's own. His sharp eyes reflected the moonlight, and his whole face was lit. The worn cloak had been pushed back revealing the gleaming mail underneath and the sword strapped to the man's side.

"I was going to ask you if you were here to destroy this grave," Harry said, astonished at his own boldness. "You aren't, are you?" he added hopefully.

The man looked thoughtful, "Would it be so bad to destroy a grave for one not dead?" He replied.

Harry looked at him and opened his mouth to tell this stranger that he had seen Dumbledore die, had held the cold hand in his, but before he could speak, a little multi-colored dragon appeared and landed on the man's shoulder.

"It was you!" Harry gasped starring at the man before him. He recognized him from somewhere but he couldn't place it. The man looked at Harry questioningly then at the dragon on his shoulder.

"Ah I see that Vin has been tailing you on his own has he?" the man said glaring shrewdly at the dragon, which suddenly became very interested in cleaning its toes. He looked back at Harry, "I'm impressed Mr. Potter, the first question I would have thought you to ask would be 'Who are you?'" he said with a smile.

Then it clicked for Harry. "You're that wealthy person, Isolomer or something like that, the one who bought Cornwall right?"

The corner of the man's mouth twitched. "I see that you are at least on par with the rest of your kind when it comes to reading," the man said dryly, "my name is pronounced Isilomir, Harry, there are two 'i's' in the beginning, and yes, I paid your government for my ancestral home." The words were harsh but there was no venom or resentment in them, just acceptance.

"Why were you watching me this summer?" Harry asked when Isilomir had been contemplating the tomb for another minute or so.

"To keep you safe of course," Isilomir said without looking up, "Though it seems your assailant decided to protect you for his own reasons last night."

Harry opened his mouth to ask something else but Isilomir tossed the invisibility cloak back to him.

"Just for a little Mr. Potter," he said with a grin, "I don't want Hagrid worrying about you." Harry nodded and slipped the cloak on just as Hagrid came out of the castle with a fully dressed McGonnigal walking behind him. As the two approached the tomb she peered at Isilomir, who had once again allowed the cloak to slip forward and had raised his hood to shield his face.

"The serpent lies in the lion's den dug by the raven's badger…" he said to her.

"…while the moon shines on the trees and the four wake again," responded McGonagall.

The man nodded solemnly and continued, "Then the serpent betrays the lion and blinds the raven…"

"…and the badger will be left to redeem them all." McGonagall finished again, her eyes widening a little as if understanding something, then she turned to Hagrid. "Thank you Rubeus, that will be all for tonight."

Hagrid looked warily at Isilomir before heading back to his cabin, Fang at his heels. _I certainly don' understand those riddles an' such, but if the Professor trusts him I guess I have no choice, _he thought, as he made his way to his cabin.

McGonagall bowed at the waist and said, "It is good to see you, Lord Thalionore, though I am afraid Albus cannot offer the same greeting." She blinked as she saw another figure now standing there. "Shouldn't you be in bed Mr. Potter?" she said eyeing Harry crossly, "off with you now, or I'll give you detention. Out in the middle of the night in your condition…"

"Stay here Harry," Isilomir said, startling McGonagall and stopping Harry in his tracks, "We are currently four and we will need to be five before the night is over."

McGonagall looked shocked, "You can't be serious Isil," she said, "There are only two of us here, the line of Gryffindor was broken one year before the line of Ravenclaw, and Slytherin betrayed us years ago. All that remains is the two of us!"

Isilomir did not look up from the tomb, "Albus is not dead Minerva," he said quietly, "Nor has Slytherin himself betrayed us, merely the current bearer of that title. As for the line of Gryffindor, I was given to understand that the last member of the house of Black to bear the mark had a son." At this Isilomir looked at Harry.

Harry was just starring at the two of them. He had lost the train of conversation somewhere back in the talk of the founders and what Isil had just said had not quite penetrated into his mind yet.

Isilomir nodded thoughtfully, then turned from Harry and walked to one end of the tomb. "As I said," he continued, "we will need to be five before the night is out." He stopped at one corner of the tomb and looked at Vin on his shoulder. "If you would," he said.

Vin snorted and a spout of flame appeared at his muzzle. The flame did not disappear. On the contrary as Isilomir stared at it, the flame seemed to grow, until it was a roiling ball of fire a little larger than a soccer ball. He placed it down on the corner of the tomb and it hovered there in mid air.

He continued on to the next corner summoning up a globe of earth from the ground beneath his feet. At the next corner he spun a ball of water out of the lake. At the last corner he pulled the wind from around him and placed it, swirling, on the corner of the tomb. Harry watched all this in amazement. Isilomir used no wand that he could see, and only a full-grown wizard could control the elements like that.

When he had finished, Isilomir spoke again, "Minerva if you would…?" he said gesturing to the globe of earth. She nodded and moved over to the corner, placing her right hand beneath the globe. "Mr. Potter, Harry…?" Isilomir said. Harry started and looked at the tall man.

"Will you help us Harry?" he asked kneeling down. Harry looked at the tomb, looked at McGonagall standing there, and nodded. "Hold out your right arm Harry," Isilomir said kindly. Harry extended his arm and when Isilomir took it he found the man's grip strong and gentle. Isilomir rolled back Harry's sleeve and Harry saw the faint outline of something on his arm. Isilomir placed his forefinger to the spot and Harry felt fire shoot up his arm. It hurt but not for long. Isilomir patted the place and looked up at Harry.

"I need you to stand by the globe of fire and hold your hand under it. You don't need to do anything else, just hold your hand there, ok?" Harry nodded and placed his right hand under the fiery globe. He expected it to be hot but was surprised when it felt quite comfortable.

"Now," said Isilomir standing and walking to the other side of the tomb, "all we need is Slytherin and we will be five." He bent down in the dirt and drew something with his finger. "Tule si, seldevaslytherin." He said touching the mark on the ground. There was a great upwelling of water from the lake and Harry was completely unprepared for what he saw when it had cleared.

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Well lookie there. It's a bit shorter than the last couple but it just works so well to leave you guys guessing. Hope you enjoyed it and pls send in those reviews.


	9. Chapter 8

Ok folks, this one's a bit on the short side and I once again leave you with a cliffy, I just couldn't resist. I'm almost ready with the next chapter so you won't have too long to wait. Hope you enjoy this one too.

**Shadow of ZAFT** – Glad you like it, and I'll do my best on those swirmly balls of magical doom. Keep reading and reviewing.

**fifespice** – Oooo your close this time. Don't worry, I explain the whole descendant thing in a couple chapters. But Isil isn't a descendant. Read on and pls keep reviewing

**Jujubel5 – **You asked, so here it is. Enjoy.

**DestinyEntwinements** – _Gasp_ You were the only person to guess, but your only half right. Hope you enjoy this chapter and pls review again.

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**Chapter 8**

Draco Malfoy awoke with a start. The pounding came again on the wall, then a voice calling them off.

"Stand back, I'll get us in there," it was a gruff, male voice, "Reducto!" The wall next to Draco shattered as the spell blasted it through into the next room. He tried to scramble away, crawling between the walls, but the same gruff voice shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Draco felt his whole body seize up. He couldn't get away, he couldn't stay hidden, and he would've cried if he could have. For this only was Draco glad for the spell, he would not let anyone see him cry, ever. A hand grasped his ankle and pulled him roughly into the room.

There were four Death Eaters standing there leering at him through their masks. If Draco had been able to talk he would have made some comment about needing four people to bring in one teenager. As it was though the Death Eaters laughed at him.

"Oh look," said one, "the little dragon tried to hide from his master." They all laughed.

"This will not do young Malfoy," another chimed in, shaking his head from side to side, "the master wants to hear from you himself how that brat managed to escape from you."

Draco's insides turned cold. _He wants to see me personally?_ He thought, panicking. Reporting to he-who-must-not-be-named in person was never a good sign. The last Death Eater who had been granted the honor after failing an assignment was not seen for five days, and then he turned up in the middle of London with what looked like half his insides hanging out.

As the Death Eaters hauled him up, a third one spoke, "You should not have run, Draco." Draco recognized the voice as that of Goyle's father. "It will be worse for you now."

"Oh stop trying to comfort him," said the fourth wizard sounding excited, "but then again, maybe we should soften him up a little, give him a taste of what's in store for him…" the wizard fingered his wand longingly.

"No," Goyle said motioning for the other wizard to put his wand away, "The Dark Lord wants him unharmed and in prime condition." The other wizard grumbled a little as he stowed his wand away.

"Lets just go then," he snapped irritably. With no further words the four wizards dissapperated, carrying Draco with them.

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An hour later Voldemort lifted Draco's limp form from the ground with a satisfied smile on his face, Draco's wand still issuing smoke in Voldemort's hand.

"Did I kill you boy?" the high hiss issuing so close to his ear woke Draco. He would have started, lashed out at the voice but his arms wouldn't move. He opened his eyes slowly, fearing what he would see. Voldemort's face was inches from his own, the red eyes boring into him. Draco shifted his eyes nervously and saw his wand in Voldemort's hand issuing the smoke that surrounded him. Voldemort's other hand had him by the collar of his robs, holding him two or three inches off the floor.

"Looks like I haven't broken you in yet," said Voldemort, peering thoughtfully at Draco, "in that case a little more maybe?" Draco tried to shake his head no, but Voldemort's hand prevented any movement. "What do you think Wormtail?" the Dark Lord asked. An affirmative squeak came from Draco's pocket and Draco realized now how he had been followed. "In that case then…" said Voldemort raising the smoke-spewing wand. A great roar filled Draco's ears and he wondered what spell Voldemort had used.

He felt his knees hit the ground, but it wasn't the cold stone of Voldemort's chamber. It felt like grass. _That's odd, _he thought, _I didn't feel anything._ He opened his eyes slowly and was shocked by the scene before him.

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Harry stared at the two figures that had appeared in the torrent of water. He recognized both of them easily. The pale head of Draco Malfoy looked up dazedly, pain written on his face. The other was the unmistakable personage of Lord Voldemort himself, still holding Draco's robes and still pointing a wand at Draco.

Isilomir stood slowly and stared calmly at the two figures before him. Voldemort stared back with a look of disbelief in his eyes. Then he started to laugh, the high-pitched sound causing Harry to flinch.

"How fortunate my _lord,_" he drawled at Isil, "I go through all the trouble of disposing of your precious guardians, and then you deliver me right into their stronghold!" He caught sight of Harry lit by the ball of fire. "And you have provided me with the chance I have long sought. No funny business now Isil or I'll blast this pathetic excuse for a human out of existence," he said gesturing at Draco with the wand.

Draco slumped down gratefully to the ground wondering why the tall dark haired man kept starring at him with those blue eyes. Voldemort drew a second wand and pointed it at Harry.

"No long speeches Harry, just death. Avada Kedavra!" he shouted. Isilomir did not move nor did anyone else as Harry flew backwards onto the ground, sliding several feet.

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I know, I know… it's another short chapter… but don't worry I'll have the next one out soon. Pls keep reviewing, and see you all next time.


	10. Chapter 9

Alright before we get started I want an honest show of hands… who thinks I killed Harry at the end of the last chapter…. come on don't be shy. Anyway, here you are, another chapter for your enjoyment. Hope you enjoy this one and thanks for making me feel good with all your reviews.

**wolfawaken** – Mua ha ha ha. I rule the land of cliffhangers…. well no but I do use them… a lot… Thx for reviewing and enjoy.

**XmichiyoX** – I think this review was my favorite. I love it when I render people speechless and 0_0 sums up the situation at the end of the last chapter so well. Thx for reviewing again.

**Jujubel5 – **Hmmm your probably right to stop there. As to being addicted to cliffies? Well it's possible. I'll have to check with my muse about that one though lol.

**DestinyEntwinements** – hmmmmm interesting… Roar is an excellent response to cliffies lol. Hope I didn't frustrate you too much. Here is another chapter to alleviate some of your cliffie-hatred. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 9**

_Thus ends the life of the boy who lived,_ Thought Draco, surprised to find tears trying to escape his eyes. _I won't let anyone see me cry!_ His voice echoed in his mind. He was disgusted with himself, disgusted with his behavior, trying to be disgusted with his own inability to do the same deed he had just watched but failing. _If I'm going to die tonight, _thought Draco, with new determination, _I will not die by _his_ side!_ He slowly crawled towards Dumbledore's tomb, looking anywhere but at the still black form that was Harry Potter. There was a roaring in his ears that seemed to be interfering with his hearing. His fingers touched the base of the plinth and he began to haul himself upright.

Voldemort cackled victoriously, oblivious to Draco's movement on the ground. "I broke your circle long ago _Lord_ Isil," he shouted, "and what is more I have fulfilled the prophecy, I live, he dies. Now I shall wreck havoc on this school…" he stopped starring.

The black figure of Harry had begun moving on the ground.

"Are you hurt Harry?" Isilomir asked without looking around.

"I'm alright," came Harry's voice. He was starring at the inert form of Wormtail on the ground beside him, having just pushed the body off of himself. He was shaking rather badly but stood up pushing his feelings aside for the moment. He replaced his hand where it had been, not noticing the form of Draco crawling towards the opposite corner of the tomb.

Voldemort whipped up the wand he had been pointing at Draco, and pointed both wands at Harry again. Before Voldemort could even open his mouth however, Draco reached up and gripped the edge of the tomb, his right hand directly underneath the globe of water.

There was an enormous cracking sound and a great cloud of dust shot up into the air. The globe of fire disappeared from above Harry's hand as Harry broke down, choking on the dust swirling around him. He could hear the coughs of the others as well, though he couldn't see anything.

Voldemort had thrown his hands up to protect himself from any flying debris and Draco's wand had slipped out of his fingers at the same time. Bewildered and enraged at being denied his revenge, Voldemort cast a spell to take himself out of the grounds. He would not wait to be captured by them in this confusion. Just as he rose into the air though, a slender hand shot out of the surrounding dust cloud and grabbed his right forearm.

"Let go of me, stupid boy," snapped Voldemort, thinking it was Draco who had grabbed him, "save your own hide idiot, let go I say!" The hand did not release him and Isil stepped out of the dust towards him.

"You will not be needing this any longer Tom," Isil said nodding at Voldemort's forearm. Fear flashed briefly across Voldemort's face as a sound like tearing paper split the night. Voldemort's shriek of rage faded as his spell carried him far beyond the grounds.

When the dust had settled Harry looked around. The scene had changed dramatically. McGonagall and Isil were talking with someone Harry could not see, Draco was nowhere to be seen, in fact, Wormtail's body was the only thing that hadn't changed.

Harry shuddered when he thought of the look in Wormtail's face as he had risen up before Harry. It had been a look of savage triumph as Wormtail had raised his silver arm to smash Harry's skull in. It was a look that had been frozen on his face as Voldemort's spell had slammed into his back.

Harry shook his head trying to clear it and then looked at the tomb. It was in complete shambles, stone chunks were littered everywhere and there was no sign of Dumbledore's body. Harry looked back at Isilomir, feeling the hatred well up within him. _You,_ he thought savagely at the tall man,_ you said you weren't going to destroy it! YOU SAID THAT!_

Isil seemed to sense his look because he turned and said, "I never said I wouldn't destroy the tomb, I merely asked if it would be a bad thing to destroy a lie." He stepped aside and gestured at the person he had been talking to. Harry felt himself lose his grip on reality, and he slid down into blackness.

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Draco opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling of the Hogwarts' infirmary. He felt disoriented for a few minutes before the events that had brought him there came back to him. His eyes widened as he remembered. He had placed his hand on the edge of the tomb, and the whole thing had shattered. A piece of the tomb had knocked him on the head so he didn't know what happened after that.

_Maybe _he _hit it with a spell or something,_ Draco thought slowly sitting up and tenderly rubbing the bump on his head. He glanced around the room and was a little surprised, and then slightly horrified, when he saw Harry's body in the next bed over. Looking away from that morbid sight, Draco's attention was caught by a soft chirp near the window. He peered through the gloom but couldn't make out what had made the noise. He was about to get up and search for it when the source of the noise landed on the end of his bed and he forgot everything else.

Facing him was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. It reminded him of a dragon, but it was not the same as the ugly beasts that had been brought to the school in his fourth year, or like the one that Hagrid had grown in his hut during Draco's first-

Draco shook his head as his train of thought returned him to the unmoving figure in the next bed. To distract himself he examined the creature on the end of his bed closer. The dragon seemed to be unable to decide on its color. Its skin shifted between red, blue, green, white, gold, and black, with seemingly every shade in between mixed in. The creature's eyes arrested Draco's own as they slowly whirled a deep shade of blue.

Draco felt himself slipping back into sleep as he watched the dragon. He lay back down in the bed trying not to think about the morbid scene next to him. It was very easy to forget it while starring at the dragon. As Draco's eyes slid closed he saw the dragon wink at him then it launched into the air and disappeared.

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Up in the headmaster's office, Vin appeared and landed on Isil's shoulder. He chirruped happily and Isil got the impression that Vin was quite pleased with himself.

"Well what have you been up to now little one?" Vin just glared at Isil, plainly telling him to mind his own business. Isil just chuckled and continued, "We have a job for you," he said, "and don't give me that look, you will do it now because you have already done it now." Vin's eyes whirled a little faster with excitement.

"We need you to find Fawkes and bring him here now. You understand?" said a person seated behind the desk, turned away from the rest of the room. Vin bugled his understanding and with one last image of his destination to Isil, he disappeared again.

"Did he get it right?" McGonagall asked sounding a little worried.

Isil smiled and nodded. "If the two of you will excuse me, I have some things to take care of before I assume my duties tomorrow. Good night." With that, he left the office.

"I wonder what things those are." McGonagall said aloud.

"He has never told us much, in all the years we've known him," said the other person, "it has only ever been enough to keep us going."

McGonagall nodded and excused herself as well.

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See the chapters are getting longer again. And look at that, I didn't leave you guys with a cliffie this time so no roaring in the reviews. And speaking of those… pls submit them cause it makes me happy to see them all waiting for me in my inbox. Till next time.


	11. Chapter 10

Here's the next chapter in my little tale and after the last chapter I'm getting a little worried that I'm scarring people off. So in any case please read and review, and I'll keep searching for misplaced reviews in dark corners. Enjoy.

**Jujubel5 – **Thx for still reading and look, no cliffie yet again. At least I don't think it's a cliffie….

**DestinyEntwinements** – well I'm glad your happy with the way it turned out, but I'm sorry you're a little lost. Hopefully it'll become clear in the explanatory chapter, which comes after this one. Please don't be discouraged and please keep reading.

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**Chapter 10**

Draco woke the next morning as the sun peeked through the infirmary's windows. He yawned and stretched, noticing as he did so that the next bed over was now empty. The unexplainable sorrow again tried to swallow him but he fought it off. _I can't imagine it was very sanitary to keep a corpse in here, _he thought trying to get the sneering quality that he was known for back into his mental voice.

"Of course Potter always did get special treatment in life," he tried it out actually speaking and was pleased to hear the familiar drawl back again, "why should they change their attitude just because the stupid mud-blood lover died." _Much better,_ he thought smiling, still fighting down the sadness at the thought of Harry.

He killed the smile as soon as he realized it was there and schooled his face into the well-practiced smirk he had spent years developing. He practiced the expression several more times before Madam Pomfrey came in.

"Ah good you're up," she said moving towards him and checking his forehead, "well you seem to be just fine. You may dress and go down to breakfast." She began to turn away.

"What!" Draco nearly shouted. "I can't go down to the hall everyone must know by now that I helped kill Dumbledore, they'll try to kill me!"

"Now, now, dear, don't worry about that." Pomfrey said, "Minerva told me everything you did last night and the Headmaster explained everything to the school already. Now you better hurry or you'll miss the end of breakfast." Before he could ask another question she swept into her office.

_Who's the new Headmaster?_ Draco thought as he quickly, but neatly, dressed. His stomach had reminded him that it would be a very bad idea to miss breakfast, as he hadn't eaten much of anything in two days. _And what exactly did I do last night that was so great?_

Draco was still pondering these questions when he stepped into the great hall. He automatically turned towards the Slytherin table and nearly tripped when he saw how empty it was. A third of the house was gone, and those who remained looked to be mostly fourth years and younger. Draco's eyes flicked towards the staff table, instinctively looking for the greasy-black-haired head of Slytherin house. He stopped when he remembered where Snape was right now.

He did notice however that Professor Slughorn had been made the new head of Slytherin house. By this time Draco had sat down on the bench at the near end of the table and it was a good thing too because it was then that he noticed who Slughorn was talking to so animatedly. Draco was pretty sure he would have fallen if he had been standing.

Dumbledore looked over Slughorn's shoulder at Draco, his eyes twinkling at the boy. Draco just stared back. _It's impossible,_ Draco thought, _I saw him die. I saw Snape kill him._ Then he remembered Madam Pomfrey's words, 'Minerva told me everything you did last night…' Had he, Draco, brought Dumbledore back to life?

Dumbledore's eyes kept darting to his left, so Draco looked further down the staff table and got a second shock. Sitting between Professors McGonagall and Flitwick and apparently having a very heated discussion with the later, was the raven-haired stranger from the night before. He seemed to sense Draco's look because he repeatedly pointed out into the hall at something.

Curiously Draco's eyes followed the pointing finger and suddenly he felt his world turn upside down. He had seen him die to. Voldemort had killed him the night before, had seen his corpse in the infirmary when he had woken in the middle of the night, but there he was, sitting and chatting away like nothing had ever happened to him. Even though he was talking with his friends he noticed Draco starring across the hall and raised a hand to wave.

Before anyone could see the blood rushing to his face, Draco turned back to his breakfast and resolved to ask someone to explain everything later. Across the hall, Harry Potter smiled to himself at Draco's reaction to his wave.

"What's up Harry?" asked Hermione.

"And who were you waving at?" asked Ron craning his head around to try and see.

"Nothing," Harry replied, "I just find it a little hard to believe everything that's happened." Hermione nodded and opened her mouth to say something when Ron interrupted her.

"I don't believe it, he actually is back." He was still looking over his shoulder at something. Harry looked up and noticed Draco bent over his breakfast.

"Wonder if Malfoy learned anything over the summer," said Ron still glaring at Draco's back. Harry opened his mouth to tell Ron to lay-off, but Hermione beat him to it.

"Ronald Weasley," she snapped at him, sounding disturbingly like his mother, "don't you go starting anything with Malfoy. He's been through a lot and we will not sink to his level!" Ron whipped back around and tried to appease his fuming girlfriend. Harry just watched the two of them and his mind wandered back to Draco. _He has been through a lot this summer,_ thought Harry. He realized he was starring at Draco's back as Ron and Hermione were bickering again, and was astonished when Vin landed on the table next to Draco.

He was even more astonished when Vin appeared on the table in front of him next. Ron and Hermione stopped immediately at the sight of the dragon. So did everyone at the Gryffindor table who had noticed the creature.

Vin extended a scroll of parchment in one of his claws to Harry, who accepted it and offered a piece of sausage in return. Vin accepted the trade and daintily swallowed the morsel. He nipped Harry's finger in thanks and flew back to the staff table, where he helped himself to Isilomir's newly refilled plate in a decidedly undignified manner.

Back at the Gryffindor table, conversation erupted again, only now it was focused on the little dragon. Oblivious to it all, Harry opened the scroll and read the short message written there in a very familiar slanted hand.

_Harry,_

_You have been reassigned to Professor Thalionore's special classes._

_Please report to the classroom on the first floor during the first period._

_I will talk to you soon,_

_Albus Dumbledore._

_P.S._

_Thank you for your help last night by the way. I understand that Isil_

_could not have done it without your help._

Harry handed the note on to Hermione who looked elated when she saw it.

"Oh Harry," she said, "that's wonderful! Special lessons with Isilomir Thalionore, I bet you'll learn loads!"

"But," said Harry, "I didn't think that Professor Isilomir was human much less a wizard."

Hermione didn't miss a beat, "Well you know," she said, "from what I've heard he did do magic last night of some kind, I bet he'll teach you that kind of stuff."

The bell rang then, announcing the end of breakfast. Hermione gave Harry an encouraging shove towards the first floor corridor as she and Ron headed for potions. With some misgivings Harry made his way to the appropriate classroom. When he entered the room Isilomir was not there. Someone was in the room, however, and when they saw each other, both of them stopped.

"What are you doing here!"

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Now this one should just be obvious…. but then again I'm the one writing this thing so of course it's obvious to me. Please please please press the little review button and write something… even if it's just the word hi, cause then I'll know people are still reading. Oh and there is one last review response.

**XmichiyoX – **YAY we have a winner…. you correctly guessed something in my story so you get lots of congratulations…. and maybe a stuffed dragon but I'm still working on that. For those of you who don't read the reviews page religiously, XmichiyoX guessed that it was indeed Dumbledore. Thank you for reviewing and reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too.


	12. Chapter 11

Wow I got five reviews the first day the last chapter was posted. Thx to everybody who reviewed and because at least half of you requested longer chapters I pulled out all the stops for this one. Course it also has the most plot of any chapter yet so please bear with me, the fun stuff is just around the corner. Enjoy.

**Jujubel5 – **Hmmm I'll make a note to be very specific in any invitation I may send. Anyway enjoy.

**Draeconin** – Thank you for reading and because you asked, this one is very… very long. Enjoy.

**XmichiyoX **– If you thought the last one was setting up plot…. well you were right. So here's the plot. Hope it's not too confusing. Enjoy.

**DestinyEntwinements** – Thanks for the wheee, and yes, as I said in my disclaimer this will have slash in it. Sooo… ummm well, enjoy I guess…

**fuser** – Thanks for reading and again this chapter is definitely not short…. or else I don't know what a long chapter looks like…

**HarliquinTemptation** – Glad you like it and hope you enjoy this chapter too.

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**Chapter 11**

Isilomir entered the classroom to find his two pupils all but facing off across the room. He sighed to himself as he waited for them to notice him. Dumbledore had warned him about the two boy's antagonism over the last six years, and he knew it was something he'd have to work around, especially in light of the position these two were now in. He hopped though that the two boys would work it out for themselves.

"That's enough," he said finally after about a minute. Both boys started and looked at him. "Harry I believe you know Draco," Isil said a bit dryly, "and I believe Draco, you are acquainted with Harry as well, so you will forgive me if I don't introduce you." Isil moved to stand in front of the two boys who turned to face him with something resembling guarded excitement.

"Now then, you know who I am by now…" he started but Harry interrupted him.

"Excuse me Professor," Harry said, "but where do you come from?" this question was asked with a slightly confused expression on Harry's face. Isil received the impression that the question hadn't come out as Harry had intended.

"I hope that by the end of these classes you can answer that yourself Harry," Isil responded, "but for now think of it as the mystery you get to solve this year. Now to business, the two of you are here because of your actions last night." Both boys looked confused at this.

"Last night," Isil elaborated, "both of you were accepted as the rightful heirs of the Gryffindor and Slytherin lines respectively." Draco immediately burst out at this.

"I can't be Slytherin's heir!" he shouted, "I can't be, my family can trace its lineage back into the middle ages and we have never been related to Slytherin! That in-breeding family produced _him_ and there's no way I'm related to _him!_" Isil waited till Draco had run out of air before speaking again.

"If I may," he said, waiting to see if Draco would interrupt again. When the blonde Slytherin remained silent, Isil opened his mouth to continue but was interrupted by Harry, who seemed to have recovered his voice again.

"But my mother was a muggle-born Professor," he said sounding even more confused than he looked, "and I don't know anything about my father's side of the family, but I think Dumbledore would have told me something as important as that."

Isil nodded in response to that and tried again, "If I may go on?" Both boys nodded and he smiled. "The heredity that I speak of is not necessarily passed on through blood. Indeed the four founders of this school were not the original bearers of this responsibility. They were however all burdened with it. Each of the founders was one of the mortal guardians of the elements." Isil looked between the two, each boy was concentrating on his words and he grinned slyly, "Seeing as how we are in class you could take notes."

Both Harry and Draco looked down at their bags sheepishly and began pulling out parchment. When they had everything out and had written down what had been said so far, Isil continued…

"Since the ancient days, when the races of civilization rose up, there have been two circles of guardians, each circle composed of a different race of the world. The mortal circle, which the founders of this school, and now you yourselves, were apart of, guarded the four major elements of the world. Gryffindor is the guardian of Fire, Slytherin the guardian of Water, Hufflepuff the guardian of Earth, and Ravenclaw the guardian of Air.

I will not speak of the eldar circle at this time, you only need to know that I am the guardian of Balance and my circle guards the celestial elements; light, shadow, hope, fear, creation, destruction and the balance of all aspects of the world.

For centuries the mortal guardians knew nothing of each other or of the eldar circle. It was only by chance that Godric, Salazar, Helga, and Rowena all met while bearing the mark of the circle. Together, the united mortal circle raised great works and did many great deeds before the end of that age. When the age did draw to a close, and the eldar were pushed from this world at last, the four guardians agreed to hide their identities. They assumed their titles as their surnames and founded this school as Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw.

With the founding of this school and its houses establishing them in history more than a thousand years ago, the four could no longer continue indefinitely as they had the previous age. Thus after an appropriate amount of years, they laid down their lives and passed their positions on to four of their best pupils.

It was to these pupils that I showed myself. I brought them together and told them everything the two of you have just heard, and then, with their consent I bound them into a pact that would seal the guardianship in one line until the day when the eldar could return. I expended a great amount of energy to seal the guardians into a bloodline, and I was banished from this world for a time because of it.

On that day, a great deal was foretold concerning my actions but, though great sorrow has come of it, the circle was ultimately protected.

Now, when I returned at the beginning of this summer, bringing with me the eldar of old, I once again set out to find those who bore the guardianship. As was foretold however, the circle had been broken. It took most of the summer to discover that only one guardian yet lived true to the circle. Another still lived as well but he betrayed his post fifty years ago.

I learned that two of the family's of the circle had ended without leaving behind a blood heir for the guardianship to pass to, or so it seemed. Further investigation revealed to me that one of the members of the circle was not as dead as I thought, and the other had indeed had a son of sorts.

Thus it seemed that my search for the four bloodlines was not in vain. Helga's pupil, and the only one still true to the circle, was still here in the castle. The name McGonagall is quite prestigious at Hogwarts and apparently has produced a large number of teachers, each who have held the guardianship in turn.

Slytherin's pupil, as you may have guessed was his own son, the only one of the four to choose a blood relative. At some point in their history the Slytherin family changed their name to Gaunt but continued to be fiercely proud of their heritage. The most recent son of this family, and the one who, until last night, bore the mark of water, was Tom Riddle- yes Draco that would be Lord Voldemort. However, as you know, he turned from his responsibilities and used his power to try and subjugate the wizarding world. Thus another link of the circle had been found, now the two most challenging only remained.

I was able to glean enough information about Dumbledore's apparent death to discover the mistake that Riddle had made. I will come to that later, suffice it to say that Dumbledore had not yet died and was in no immediate danger. So I turned my attention to the last member of the circle, and the only one I had no clues to other than the name of the pupil. One by the name of Black- ah Harry you recognize it do you?"

I managed to trace the name of Black down through the centuries, following the mark of Fire by those who retained the Black surname even after marriage, until I arrived at one Sirius Black. Here is where I reached what appeared to be a dead end. Sirius had disappeared a year before, again by the treachery of Riddle, and no method of retrieving him has yet presented itself. It was only later that I learned of Sirius' son, or rather his godson.

Though not a blood relative, Sirius left everything to you, Harry, should anything happen to him, making you his son, for all intents and purposes. Thus the mark of fire was transferred to a new bloodline, and has been sleeping in you for the last year. Even if Sirius manages to return to this world from wherever he is, the mark has been passed and will not return to him."

"All right, that explains how Potter is Gryffindor," said Draco irritably, "but how do you figure that I'm Slytherin if yo-V-Voldemort is still alive." Draco managed to get the name out with the barest of shudders, and was pleased for being able to do so.

"As I said, Riddle betrayed the circle," Isil said, "However, he was always careful that he did not attack another member of the circle directly. You see, if one guardian ever attacks another guardian, a member of the eldar circle has the ability to revoke the mark from him."

"So when Voldemort attacked me last night," Harry said, "He didn't know I was carrying the mark of Fire?"

"Yes," said Isil, sounding amused, "He had been very careful up until then to never fatally attack a member of one of the other bloodlines himself. In his hatred he did not look at where you were standing, or what you were doing last night. When he cast his so-called killing curse at you the mark of Water loosened upon him and I was able to remove it, however I did not choose its host. That was up to the mark itself." Isil's eyes slid over to Draco, who looked stunned.

"How do you know I have this mark or whatever it is?" said Draco, "I didn't pick anything up last night."

"The mark is not an object," said Isil, "it is a mark on your right forearm that denotes your status among the cosmos." Harry pulled back the right sleeve of his robe to see if Isil was right. Sure enough glittering on the paler skin of his underarm was a golden lion's head superimposed over a sword on a flaming circle. He stared at his arm in wonder. The symbol was beautiful. He looked over to see what Draco's looked like.

Draco hadn't moved. He was gripping his right arm hard, and had a fearful expression on his face as he glanced quickly between Harry and Isil. _I don't want him to see it._ He thought desperately, though he couldn't understand this sudden reluctance. _He already knows especially after what I did last year._ Draco told himself angrily. _Ah, _said the voice again, _but you don't want him to have proof, you want him to think maybe that you didn't side with the dark lord and attempt to kill…_

"Shut up!" Draco said aloud gripping his arm tighter. He blinked realizing what he had just said, "Sorry," he muttered, "I must have slipped off." He swallowed; fighting off another blush as he noticed Harry was looking at him with concern, he bravely pushed his sleeve up.

It was not the dark mark that stared back at him. On the contrary the mark he now bore was a great silver serpent that appeared to be wrapped around a sword of some kind, imposed over a field of waves. Harry came over and leaned in to get a better look. When Draco noticed he flinched away, but Harry only offered his own arm out for inspection. When both boys had resumed their seats Isil chuckled.

"Do you doubt me now?" he asked with more than a little amusement in his voice. Both Harry and Draco instantly shook their heads. "I should tell you that the marks only glow like that when they have been awakened. That is, when they have found the host that they will stay with until the host decides to die." Harry and Draco exchanged another wondering glance at this but didn't say anything for the moment.

"When Riddle bore that mark, Draco, it did not glow as it does now; hence he used it as a basis for his own dark mark. Thus he twisted another aspect of the circle into something evil." Isil looked out the window before turning back to them. "I see it's nearly the end of the first period, I will dismiss you for now. I'll see you back in here for second period." With that, Isil went into the teacher's office. Harry looked at Draco as the blonde stood up and came over to him.

"Look, Pott- Harry," Draco began sounding a little uncomfortable, and nowhere near as snotty as his usual self, "just for this class, when no one else is around, you think maybe, seeing as how we're both um… guardians was it… that maybe we could be friends?" He wasn't looking at Harry, who was just staring with his mouth slightly opened. "I understand if you don't want to, after everything I've done…" Draco began but faded out as he realized Harry had extended his hand, just as Draco had done six years before when they had both arrived at the castle.

"Friends?" Harry asked grinning at the expression on Draco's face. Draco grasped Harry's hand firmly and had to fight down another blush when his mind started in on an, _I held his hand_ chant. He managed to nod and Harry's grinned widened as he left the room.

"See you next block, Mal- Draco," he said waving.

"See you next block, Harry," Draco replied softly as the door closed.

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"What d'you mean friends?" shouted Ron, sitting bolt upright from where he had been lounging against Hermione. The three Gryffindors were by the lake for break and Harry, grinning all the while, had told Ron and Hermione about the exchange he had just had with Draco.

"That's wonderful Harry!" Hermione said giving Ron a disapproving look when he opened his mouth. "I bet that's just what Draco needs right now."

"Since when is he Draco?" Ron asked indignantly looking between the two.

"Any friend of Harry's should be a friend of ours too, Ron," she replied. Ron humphed at that but didn't say anything else. Harry was lying on his back next to the two of them staring up at the sky.

"You know," he said suddenly, "it feels like that's the first time I've actually done something right with Draco. It was like we were both eleven again, fresh off the train for our first night at school. It was…"

"Almost like the last six years hadn't happened?" Hermione asked, noting the tone of Harry's voice and grinning with a knowing look in her eyes. Harry nodded not noticing the sudden intensity of Hermione's gaze.

"I still don't know…" said Ron not having noticed his girlfriend's expression anymore than Harry had, "friends and Malfoy have never been in the same sentence before…"

"You'll just have to get used to it dear," Hermione said twining her fingers in Ron's hair, "say, Harry, you should invite Draco to sit with us at lunch, he's all alone over at the Slytherin table."

"Yeah I may do that…" Harry said trailing off as the blonde Slytherin's face swam into view before him again. It didn't really surprise Harry that he kept thinking of Draco; after all, he had spent the better part of the previous year obsessing after the boy's activities. _Of course that's not quite the same thing,_ he told himself. _So what?_ another part of him said, _if Ginny has moved on to someone else, so can you._ It had snuck up on him, but now he couldn't deny it. _Yes asking Draco out would be a good thing_, he decided, a little surprised at his own thoughts, _and so what if he says no. We can just go back to hating each other or whatever, and nothing will have changed. _Harry was amazed at how right this all felt to him, especially after hating Draco for so long.

"Harry…" Hermione's voice penetrated his thoughts, it sounded quite amused he noticed, "Harry, it's time for second period, come on…" Harry focused his eyes and saw a wide grin on her face.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Harry asked as he got up.

"Oh no reason," she responded grinning even wider, "and don't forget to ask Draco to lunch."

The three had reached the steps and Harry nodded to show her he had heard. Ron just rolled his eyes and Hermione proceeded to berate him again as the two of them headed off to their own class. _This morning is turning out to be very interesting_, Harry thought as he made his way back to the classroom.

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Draco sat back in his chair and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. Break was almost over and Draco hadn't been able to get Harry out of his thoughts. Every subject led him back to Harry, every event. _Will you quit thinking about him!_ He told himself. _But why not… _another voice spoke up; Draco had been consumed by this argument for the last fifteen minutes. _Why shouldn't I think about him when he looks so nice, and is so nice, and I'm so lonely… I should at least eat lunch with him… _

Draco gave up defense and agreed with his inner voice that he would ask Harry to eat lunch with him today. _And maybe dinner later, then tomorrow morning, when we wake up…_ Draco blushed at these thoughts. It seemed quite natural to him to be thinking them, but he didn't know how Harry would react if Draco told him, especially as they had only agreed to be friends that morning.

The door opened, breaking Draco's train of thought. Harry came in and sat down with a cheerful hello to Draco. Before either of them could speak, the office door opened and Isil came back into the room.

"Well," he said, "this morning you learned why you're here so before lunch we'll get to what you'll be learning here." Draco and Harry perked up at this, leaning forward in their seats.

"Your first question is…" and when Isil said this, the chalk behind him floated into the air and scrawled out the question, 'What is Magic?'

"Um sir," said Draco, "how do you mean?"

"At this school," Isil said, "students are taught 'magic,' correct?" Both boys nodded. "So you should be able to tell me what magic is." Isil finished and waited. Harry and Draco exchanged nervous looks.

"Well," began Harry, "Magic is the ability to… I don't know… we're just able to do stuff when we have a wand."

"Exactly," said Isilomir, causing both Harry and Draco to look up at him in surprise.

"That's it?" asked Draco, looking outraged, "isn't it more complicated than that?"

Isil shook his head, "Magic is simply the will of someone acting on the world around them," he said the chalk once again moving on the chalkboard behind him, "through the use of wands and incantations, humans can strengthen their will to perform very specific tasks, like levitation, transportation, transfiguration, etc."

"However," he went on, "four humans are given privilege above the rest, at least over a single part of the world. For example, as the guardian of Flame, Harry can, with training, manipulate fire with only his mind. Similarly, Draco will be able to manipulate water in the same manner. There are visible signs of this manipulation. The more energy you use the more you will resemble an elemental creature of your element. Thus after great amounts of energy expenditure, Harry will resemble a flame-spirit and Draco will resemble a water-spirit. It takes several hours for these forms to fade back behind your seals and they have their own strengths and weaknesses, which you will have to learn. It is possible to call these forms out if needed, however, only time will let them fade."

"Now then on to the basics…" Harry and Draco spent the rest of the period studiously copying the notes as they were written on the board. Towards the end of the class, Isil gave them each a sample of their respective element. Harry had a little trouble getting the flame of his candle to grow and move around with his thoughts, but Draco caught on right away. He had water from his bowl skittering across the table and flying up into the air.

The lesson had been so interesting that Harry and Draco had completely forgotten their resolves from the break to ask the other person to lunch. It wasn't until they reached the great Hall that they remembered.

"Oh hey Draco," Harry said turning to face the blonde before going in. They had been discussing the lesson and Harry had been practicing on every torch they went by, bending the flames to let him look at Draco better while they talked. "Doyouwannacomeeatlunchwithustoday?" Harry asked quickly before his nerves could stop him.

Draco looked surprised, and Harry opened his mouth to apologize and say it was alright if Draco didn't want to, when Draco spoke, "Sure Harry, that'd be great. Actually, to tell you the truth, I was going to ask you if you wanted to eat lunch with me." Draco laughed nervously as he said the last part. The grin that Draco found so appealing flashed across Harry's face as he laughed and lead the way over to the Gryffindor table.

Ron looked sourly at the pair, as the two boys made their way towards the table. Hermione poked him in the side and he reluctantly arranged his face into a neutral expression as the two sat down.

"Hello Draco, Harry." Hermione said watching the two boys closely as they sat down. Both looked nervous and excited at the same time. There was something else there too, relief she thought.

"Hi Harry," Ron said, then after another second but far more formally he said, "Malfoy."

"Weasley," the blonde returned no less formally, "Hi Hermione," he said as he took a seat next to Harry.

The four of them talked amiably over lunch with one exception. Whenever Ron talked with Draco, their language was almost suffocating in its formality. Draco was just fine other wise, though he was a bit uncomfortable with some of the looks from the Gryffindors sitting around him. He compensated for this by using his new found friendship with Harry as a sort of armor, something to say to every one else, 'If he can forgive me, am I all that bad?'

Towards the end of lunch the conversation turned towards the lessons of the morning, or more specifically, the rest of the Gryffindor seventh years, who had worked their way to that part of the table by that time, wanted to hear what Harry's and, by association, Draco's morning had been like. The two boys did their best to explain, but the others just weren't getting it, so finally Draco decided to put an end to the confused explanations.

"I'll just show you what we did then," he said grabbing a goblet full of water, "here, watch this." Draco placed his hands on either side of the goblet and closed his eyes. There was a collective gasp from all around him as the contents of the goblet rose up into the air and began to morph into something else. Draco opened his eyes to watch and kept stealing glances at Harry to see how he was reacting. Harry was ecstatic at the display and Draco tailored it to keep bringing back what Harry seemed to think were the best parts.

Several times the ball of water splashed down onto the table or someone, and the drops would stay beaded up until slowly one by one they would fly back up into the air to reform, leaving the landing spot completely dry. Draco pushed the water around some more, trying to figure out what to make next when he noticed that Harry's own eyes were closed.

Startled at the raven-haired boy's intense expression Draco nearly lost control of the water, but managed to catch it again, causing a great cheer to rise from the surrounding students. Then Draco discovered why Harry's eyes were closed as four tendrils of flame flowed from the surrounding candles to form a ball of flame next to the ball of water.

Harry slowly opened his eyes to see the two shapes floating there in front of him. As Draco molded the ball of water, Harry mirrored it with the flame. The motion of the two conflicting elements before them turned from a display to a dance. A slow smile played over both boys' lips as they danced with each other through the elements in front of them.

Hermione watched Harry's and Draco's faces carefully while the dance went on. She smiled herself when she saw that they had realized what was going on. It wouldn't be long now she knew before they brought their feelings to the surface, at least in private anyway.

When the bell to start the afternoon periods rang, Harry released the fire he had been controlling and it shot towards the roof, dissipating six feet above the heads of the students. Draco carefully replaced the ball of water back into its goblet and picked up his bag. At that moment Vin appeared in front of the two boys and handed Draco a parchment. Harry picked up his bag as Draco read the note.

"It says we have class out on the grounds first period then a free period after that," Draco said, heading for the door. Harry grinned as he followed Draco out of the castle. _We'll talk about it later then,_ he thought at the blonde's back. _Yes later is all right with me._ Harry blinked and shook his head. He hadn't meant to say that out loud and he hadn't seen Draco's head move. _Oh well, I'll figure it out later,_ he thought, and followed the blonde down to the lake.

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O….k…… now I know that's a bunch to take in so feel free to ask me questions. I look forward to seeing all of your reviews waiting in my mailbox… till next time.


	13. Chapter 12

All righty… now we get to the fun stuff. So enjoy it and please send me reviews. They make me happy.

**Jujubel5 – **Telepethy he asks? Well of a sort anyway… here you are and keep reading and reviewing.

**Shadow of ZAFT** – Glad you like it. Please keep reading and enjoy.

**DestinyEntwinements** – HA! maybe not lol. Anyway keep reading and hope you enjoy it.

**Tanaraza** – lol I'm doing my best to write as fast as I can. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 12**

Isilomir was waiting for the boys next to the lake. It was a clear day and the sun was reflecting brightly off the water. The ruins of Dumbledore's tomb had been cleared away sometime that morning. Draco looked at the lake with excitement, thinking of all the things he could do with that much water.

"You will want to remove your robes and dress clothing," said Isil as they approached, "you will not want that much weight on you for what we'll be doing." Harry and Draco glanced at each other, each with the same confused look, before summoning a pair of shorts from their respective rooms. After changing they faced Isil again, now in just shorts and t-shirts.

"For our sessions in the afternoons, you will be training your body," Isil told them, "We will start today with running, but no stretching," he said as the boys began to do just that, "you will use what you learned this morning to relax tense muscles as you run. With proper control you should be able to run for the entire block. Once that has been achieved, we will work on your speed. We will run three days a week. On the off days we will work on other skills." He waved them on, "You may begin now."

Draco and Harry looked at each other one more time. With a jaunty grin that was completely at odds with his normal expression, Draco set out at a flat out sprint. Harry grinned and sprinted after him. _Right, the only way to learn this is to do it and do it fast!_ thought Harry gleefully as he tore after Draco.

Five minutes later both boys were lying on the ground panting, pain shooting up through their legs.

"I believe the assignment was to run for the full period boys?" Isil said mildly as he peered down at them. Draco hauled himself into a sitting position, his chest still heaving as he tried to gulp down air.

"You… made… it… sound… so easy," he gasped out, doing his best to glare up at the grinning Isil. _Draco looks very cute like that_, Harry thought as he twisted his head to look at the blonde.

"Did I?" Isil asked doing his best to sound innocent, "You boys have five more minutes, and then you will try again." Harry rolled his head back the other direction to look at Isil.

"What!" both boys exclaimed.

"You will run for a full hour," Isil continued, "In five minutes time you should feel the same as you did when you arrived for the period. Then you will begin running again. We will continue until you manage to run for a single hour without stopping or until the dinner bell rings."

"But this isn't a double period," said Harry, finally managing to sit up.

"Correct," said Isil as he turned to walk back to the tree they had started from. "However, I believe that both of you have a free period after this?" Harry and Draco nodded. "Well then, I'm sure that giving up some of your free time to finish class work would be quite all right." With that, Isil walked off towards the tree.

Harry and Draco spent the rest of the afternoon running. They took only five minutes between each try, Draco drawing energy from the lake to refresh them when they had to stop. By the time the bell for dinner rang, they had managed to sprint for nearly half an hour without stopping.

"That's very good boys," Isil said as they changed back into their school robes. They had each jumped into the lake to cool off before changing. Harry's hair was still damp, causing his normally wild locks to lay flat for once. Draco noticed this and suppressed a smile; _Harry looks very cute with his hair flattened down like that. I wonder if that's what he looks like after showering in the morning, or after spending the night…_ Draco cut off that thought, but not before it had caused his face to redden. Luckily Harry was listening to Isil and not paying attention to Draco.

"We will continue this training on Wednesday," Isil was saying, "now off to dinner with you."

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Harry lay in his bed that night staring at the ceiling of his four-poster. Dinner had been spent answering Ron and Hermione's questions about the afternoon. Neither he nor Draco had said much because they were so tired.

After dinner, Hermione had dragged the two boys into the library and showed them what she had learned that day. Apparently, Dumbledore wanted Draco and Harry to continue with normal classes as well as learning from Isilomir. Since all the time-turners had been destroyed, the only means of doing this was through an experience transfer charm.

"Why did Dumbledore have to pick you Hermione?" Harry grumbled as he slaved over the mountain of homework he had ended up with.

"Because," said Hermione sweetly from across the table, "My schedule had the most similarities with both of yours. It's not like the extra classes will kill you, you know." Hermione had used the experience transfer charm to not only transfer the day's classes to the two boys, but also everything she had learned in the past four years from the classes they hadn't taken.

Harry managed to finish everything before 11:00, much to his surprise. The result of the evening however was that Harry now had a massive headache. He flipped over for the third or fourth time, but his pounding head refused to let him sleep. It felt like his brain had been pealed open and then stuffed full of three or four years of learning. _Which is what happened to it,_ Harry thought resignedly. Sighing, he rolled onto his back again and let his mind drift. Harry blushed in the darkness as his thoughts settled on Draco.

_I still can't stop thinking about you,_ he thought to himself smiling at the ceiling of his bed. _I can't stop thinking about you either…_ Harry bolted upright, looking around to see where Draco was hiding. He swore he had just heard the blonde's voice. A quick search revealed that the only people in the dormitory were his fellow Gryffindors. _Draco?_ Harry thought tentatively concentrating on the blonde Slytherin hearing him. _Harry?_ an equally tentative sounding voice spoke inside his head.

_This is amazing I… I can't believe it…_ Harry thought, _we're telepaths… Isilomir never told us about this…_ Then a third voice spoke and both boys heard it. _Do you two mind? I'm trying to sleep here._ Harry stared at the curtains of his four-poster.

_Who are you?_ Draco asked.

_You two aren't telepaths,_ the voice continued, _but I communicate mentally, and since you were both thinking so loudly about each other, _the voice took on an annoyed quality,_ I figured I'd forward your thoughts and get you to shut up._

_Vin? Is that you?_ Harry asked, hearing something in the tone that reminded him of the dragon's behavior.

_Yes, _the voice replied irritably, _now if you want to continue talking with one another meet somewhere and let me sleep!_

_Meet me by the lake,_ Draco's voice said quickly, and Harry felt a slight change in his mind, like a silencing of exterior noise. He tried to say ok but jerked his head forward as he was given the impression of being hit with something from behind.

_Sorry_, he thought and then damped down his thoughts as he stood and dressed.

As Harry slipped out of the castle under the invisibility cloak he noticed the slim figure moving into the shadow of the tree they had used as a starting point that afternoon. He walked down the gentle slope, moving as silently as he could, until he was standing right behind the blonde.

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Draco stood under the tree waiting for Harry to show up. _What could be taking so long,_ he thought quietly to himself, _it's been almost ten minutes since I got here._ Just then he felt movement behind him, but before he could even reach for his wand, he found himself face to face with Harry and a cloak was over his head. Draco squeaked in surprise but Harry instantly covered Draco's mouth with his hand, a mischievous grin sliding onto his face.

"You should be more observant," he said still grinning.

"More observant?" Draco hissed at him, but beginning to smile as well, "How am I supposed to see you when you're under this thing?" Harry laughed at this and Draco resisted the urge to shut him up with his own mouth.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked him after calming down.

"Can we sit down?" Draco asked, not meeting Harry's eyes.

Harry nodded and tried to sit down. He had meant to sit down. Really he had. Somehow though, his arms had moved instead of his legs and he had pulled the shorter boy towards him. Harry rested his head on Draco's shoulder, facing away from Draco, and waited for the boy to shove him off.

"What is it?" Harry asked when nothing happened. Draco took another second to respond. Harry was holding him, his mind was doing back flips it was so amazing. When he had regained enough presence to be capable of movement, he wrapped his own arms around Harry and pulled the boy closer.

"It's nothing," he murmured into Harry's hair. "It's just that I love you Harry." There it was, he had said it, and there was no going back now. He only had to wait for the angry outburst.

"I love you too, Draco," Harry whispered in his ear. Draco blinked, tears appearing in his eyes as he pulled his head back to look at the other boy. Harry was blushing so much that Draco could see it even in the filtered moon light under the cloak. Harry was the one avoiding eye contact now. Draco grinned and tilted his head back bringing his lips up to meet Harry's.

Harry was surprised by the kiss. It felt good. Very good. His mind registered that much before he was spinning down onto the soft grass with Draco pressed close to him.

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Ron woke the next morning to the sound of the dormitory door squeaking open. He lay there unmoving while the footsteps moved towards the bed opposite his. He peeked out through the curtains and saw a very disheveled Harry trying to quietly open his trunk.

"All right Harry," Ron said sitting up, "where'd you go last night without telling me." The black haired Gryffindor bolted upright at the sound of Ron's voice, and then looked sheepishly at his friend.

"A little jumpy this morning?" Ron commented, yawning halfway through his sentence.

"I just went for a walk," Harry said, closing his trunk and heading for the door, "I'm gonna take a shower." Ron merely shook his head at his friend's back and started to get ready for the day himself. He didn't notice the corner of the invisibility cloak still sticking out of Harry's trunk.

The shower felt good to Harry, especially after spending the night out on the grounds. Even though Harry had a pleasant distraction to take his mind off the sleeping surface, his body was now informing him that it would be a bad idea to make a habit of it.

As Harry stepped out of the shower, toweling himself off, he noticed a red mark at the base of his neck. He slipped his glasses on and began to blush furiously as he saw the indentations of teeth on his skin. He checked to make sure that Ron was already in one of the other showers and that the rest of his fellow Gryffindors were still asleep, then he quickly slipped over to his trunk and dressed as fast as he could.

He was pleased to note in the mirror that the collar of his school uniform completely covered the mark. He mentally reminded himself to thank Draco for having the presence of mind to leave his mark that low. Just then Ron came back into the dorm.

"So are you gonna tell me where you went last night?" he asked as he began dressing himself. Harry blushed again, but Ron was taking something out of his trunk and failed to notice.

"I told you, I went for a walk." Harry replied, trying to sound innocent.

"All night?" Ron asked quizzically.

"Well I wasn't walking all night," amended Harry, "I did get several hours sleep by the lake."

Before Ron could ask something else, Crookshanks stuck his nose into the room and mewed at the two of them.

"Looks like Hermione's up," said Ron, a smile spreading over his face.

"C'mon lover boy," said Harry grinning as he half-dragged Ron over towards the door.

"Watch who you're calling lover boy," Ron said indignantly causing a fresh blush to wash over Harry's face, "and what's with you this morning? Your face keeps flushing, are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," Harry assured him. They had reached the common room and Hermione turned around at the sound of their voices. She noticed Harry's flushed face at once and her eyes narrowed, looking him over.

"Why wouldn't he be fine?" she asked as the two of them joined her and headed down to the dining hall.

"Because someone, who shall remain nameless," Ron said with a pointed glare at Harry's grinning face, "spent the entire night outside for the second night in a row." Harry blushed again at the reminder of the night's activities.

"Now that's not fair," he said, "I wasn't out all night the night before, I was just out late."

"You didn't happen to meet anyone last night, did you?" Hermione asked shrewdly peering through narrowed eyes at Harry. Ron just starred at her as Harry held up his hands doing his best to keep a surprised expression on his face. He didn't think it was working though.

"Who would I be meeting Hermione?" he asked, "I don't have a girlfriend remember?" Her eyes narrowed even further at these words, but to Harry's relief, she didn't press the point anymore.

The three of them reached the entrance hall and were caught in the large press of students waiting for breakfast. Harry was shunted against the wall, away from Ron and Hermione, and was trying to work his way back, when a black figure hurtled out of the crowd and enveloped him.

He turned quickly so that no one nearby would notice as he bent down and kissed Draco. The shorter boy moaned softly his arms wrapping tighter around Harry under his school robes. _It's a good thing these robes are all black_, Harry thought as he kissed Draco again.

"I just wanted to let you know Mr. Potter," Draco said in a mock formal voice, "that I had a wonderful time last night." He grinned and kissed Harry again.

"Is that so Mr. Malfoy?" Harry responded softly, a grin of his own spreading across his face, "Well we'll have to do it again sometime so I can give you back your present." Draco's eyes sparkled mischievously at Harry.

"Did anyone notice?" He asked.

"My spending the night out, or the mark you conveniently left on me?" Harry asked, his grin widening.

"Either one," Draco said reasonably.

"Yes and no" Harry replied promptly as he succeeded in disentangling himself from Draco. People were beginning to move around them and someone was bound to notice soon.

"Which one goes with which," Draco hissed at him as he picked up his bag and followed Harry into the hall.

"I'll let you figure that out on your own," said Harry. He nearly burst out laughing at the horrified expression that crossed Draco's face. "Ok, ok, I can't torture you like that for too long," said Harry laughing, "yes to the first one, no to the second." Draco looked relieved but didn't say anything else as they had just arrived at the table.

"Morning Draco," Hermione said sweetly, eyeing the boy for any signs that would substantiate her theory. If she was right, Draco was much better at covering up his activities than Harry was.

"Morning," Draco said nodding to both her and Ron. Breakfast was a fairly normal affair. Hedwig flew down and said hello to Harry. She even let Draco feed her a little something before she flew off again.

"Wish I could still use my owl…" Draco said wistfully, still looking at the departing Hedwig. Harry gave him a thoughtful look before glancing at the high table. Hermione watched the interaction from behind her goblet, taking mental notes all the while. Draco sighed once more and then turned back to the rest of the table.

"I need to do something before class," said Harry suddenly standing up and gripping Draco's shoulder reassuringly, "see you there." He moved off down the table towards the doors, and disappeared into the entrance hall.

"What was that all about?" Draco asked a little shaken at his boyfriend's sudden departure. Ron just shrugged, so Draco looked at Hermione and was surprised to see the laughter in her eyes.

"What?" He asked her, looking down at himself to see if he had spilled anything.

"Oh, nothing," she said, still looking at him with an amused expression, "c'mon you two, the bells about to ring," she said standing as well. Sure enough, the bell rang signaling the start of first period.

"Have a good morning Draco," Hermione waved after him as she dragged Ron towards their first class. Draco waved back as he headed for the first floor corridor. As he passed the first floor divination room, he saw Firenze about to enter the room.

"So you have indeed returned," the centaur said looking at him. Draco remembered the first time he had met the centaur back in his first year. He merely nodded up at Firenze and waited for the centaur to move into the room as the centaur was currently blocking the hallway. "I remember you from before," Firenze said still looking at Draco, "you were the boy with young Mr. Potter in the woods that night were you not?" Draco nodded again, worrying now that he might be late.

"I see," said Firenze, nodding to himself, "so the dragon was hiding then, but now it has been awakened…" the creature seemed to be talking to itself now and Draco opened his mouth to interrupt when the centaur spoke again. "Protect what you hold dear, Silver Dragon, protect him with your life, and the Lion will do the same for you." With this last cryptic statement, Firenze stepped into his classroom.

"Ah there you are Draco," Isil's voice came from behind him. Draco turned and saw a smiling Harry standing next to their teacher. "We'll have class on top of the astronomy tower today," Isil continued, "as it is such a nice day." Harry grabbed Draco's hand as they turned and started back towards the stairs.

"Don't worry, he already knew," Harry whispered as Draco made to pull away.

"So does Firenze," Draco whispered back. "I'll tell you later," he said as Harry's eyes widened.

"Come along you two," Isil said from further down the corridor. The boys grinned and ran after their professor.

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Alright we got through that part. Now the fun stuff really begins so please press that review button so I have more excuses to write. Till next time.


	14. Chapter 13

Alright this chapter took me a while and I know it's shorter so bear with me. I've got some good stuff coming up and a nice three-day weekend next week to write in. So enjoy this little plot and fluff filler and keep an eye out for the next update. With any luck I'll post again before the end of the week.

**Jujube15 – **Thanks for reviewing yet again, and for feeding the muse. Enjoy.

**DestinyEntwinements** – I know they're cute lol. I don't know if I can help with the chocolate but enjoy this chapter all the same.

**xXit'salllgonnabeOKXx** – Aren't they though? Thanks for reviewing and hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter 13**

"Now then," Isil began, the wind was blowing stiffly at the top of the tower and the three were seated with their backs resting against the parapet wall. "I told you two yesterday about your history, but there was no time for you to ask questions at the end," he waited. Harry and Draco looked at each other and then at Isil, waiting for him to continue. "Well?" he asked, "Do you have any questions?" Harry thought of one instantly.

"Sir," he said, starring up at the clouds, "you said yesterday that Dumbledore hadn't really died. I… I was there sir," Harry's voice threatened to stick in his throat but he forced the words out, Draco squeezing his hand in reassurance, "I held Dumbledore's hand and it was as cold as ice. He wasn't breathing and his eyes were glassy…" he choked back more tears as his words reminded him of McGonagall's description of himself two nights previously.

"That is a good question Harry," Isil said, as Draco gathered Harry into his arms to comfort the shaking boy. "The answer to your question lies, not so much in the events of that night, but in the type of spell used. You see the Avada Kedavra curse is not truly a killing curse. It is merely a spell that separates the target's soul from their body.

Now to normal wizards, the effects of this curse would indeed seem fatal, as there is no spell known to reattach a soul and a body. However, as long as the body exists, a victim of Avada Kedavra can be revived but several conditions have to be met before it can be attempted. The first condition is that a representative of the Eldar Circle must be present at the revival. In Dumbledore's case, I was that representative.

Secondly, less than six months must have passed between the casting of the curse and the revival. Any longer than that and the body will have begun to decompose and would be unfit for a soul to inhabit. Even if the body is magically preserved, the soul will not enter it.

The third condition was the most difficult in Dumbledore's case, and it would have been impossible in past times before the founding of this school. In order for the victim to be revived, all four mortal guardians must be present, and all of them must want the victim to return."

"That all makes sense," said Draco, still holding Harry, "but there were only three guardians there two nights ago. Dumbledore hadn't been revived yet, so we were short a guardian."

"Ah," said Isilomir grinning, "That was one of my better ideas. You see, Dumbledore was not there in person but his spirit was waiting for me to return. If I had not arrived within the six month limit, he would have transferred the mark to a new bearer and proceeded on to his well deserved rest."

"So it was Dumbledore's spirit," Harry said looking thoughtful. He still did not move from Draco's lap as it was a very comfortable spot to sit.

"I have one more question Sir," Draco said, "How did you know about us?" he asked, one of his hands still moving soothingly along Harry's spine. Isil sighed and looked at the two boys.

"In truth Draco, I expected it from the moment you were both chosen," he looked at them with an expression that seemed to expect them to argue. "It is not common knowledge, but after his wife died, Salazar slipped into a depression that threatened to destroy the fellowship the four had built up. It was Godric who saved him, and the two of them fell in love.

When I bound the seals into the four bloodlines after the founders passed them on, it was foretold that Slytherin and Gryfindor would only awaken when borne by two who loved. Thus when both of you inherited the mark, it was obvious to me that you loved one another, though maybe not on the surface. The mark also has the tendency to make you less inhibited with one another then you otherwise would be which would explain your transition from enemies to boyfriends in two days."

The two boys were starring at him now, and Isil sighed, waiting for the inevitable question. It didn't take either of them very long to start in.

"You mean these marks forced us to fall for one another?" Harry asked, tense and ready to jump out of Draco's lap if he needed to.

"You manufactured these feelings just to be more convenient?" Draco asked at the same time. He noted Harry's tenseness and felt a pang of regret.

"You were not paying attention," said Isilomir calmly, "I said that the marks would only awaken, as they have done with the two of you, when they are carried by two people in love." Neither boy seemed to comprehend the meaning of these words so Isil continued. "It means that in order for either of you to posses that mark, to be able to help Dumbledore at all, both of you deep down wished to love the other. It is unfortunate that you spent six years at odds with one another but during that time you were unknowingly drawn to each other." The surprise and anger faded from the two student's faces as Harry relaxed back into Draco.

"So we weren't forced into this," Harry stated more than asked, looking lovingly at his blonde dragon.

"That's good to know," Draco replied, returning the look and inching closer to Harry. Isil's cough reminded them of where they were and both of them blushed heavily as they pulled apart.

For the rest of the morning, Isilomir put the two boys through their paces. By the time the lunch bell rang, Harry and Draco were enthusiastic enough to want to continue through lunch.

"No, you two go and eat," Isil said, laughing at the disappointed expressions on their faces. "You'll need the energy for this afternoon." At this Harry and Draco perked up again, but Isilomir refused to tell them more. "Just meet me at the castle doors and where warm clothing," he called after them as they headed down the stairs.

In the corridor at the base of the tower, Draco turned towards the nearest staircase only to be caught and swung against the wall by Harry.

"What say we skip lunch," Harry asked, his hands snaking their way around Draco's hips. He kissed the blonde passionately and Draco quickly responded to him. When they finally broke the kiss, both boys were panting slightly.

"We can't skip lunch," Draco said, finding it very difficult to tell this to his amorous boyfriend, "Isilomir said we had to eat…" he gasped as Harry's mouth touched his throat. "But he didn't say we had to spend the whole time eating," amended Draco, causing Harry to look up into his eyes. Draco grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him along the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, still a little miffed at Draco's reaction to Harry's kisses.

"To the dining hall," Draco said but continued before Harry could interrupt him again, "just for a quick bite. We'll eat something at the Slytherin table and then duck out before anyone sees us."

"Hermione will notice," Harry told him as they reached the great hall. Students were just beginning to arrive for lunch.

"Then we'll tell her later that we had to leave early because Isil wanted us to arrive to class early," Draco told him. They had let go of each other's hands and were now walking side by side towards the Slytherin table.

It was hard to contain his excitement while Harry at his one plate of food. It felt as though he had finally made a right decision. It felt the same way as when he had agreed to be friends with Draco but it felt a thousand times better. _And Isil said he'd give me one of those things for Draco…_ Harry thought. His musings were interrupted as Draco grabbed his shoulder and hauled him up.

"You shouldn't eat so fast," Draco said laughing, "especially when you're day dreaming. You nearly broke the plate." Harry grinned at his boyfriend as he followed him out onto the grounds. Once they were outside, he repeated his move from the hallway, neatly spinning Draco against the shaded wall next to the door and kissing him again.

"Now where were we," he whispered into the blonde's ear as Draco shivered and tilted his head back in response. Harry's fingers quickly loosened the blonde's tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt, exposing the pale neck to him. With one last flick of his tongue across Draco's quivering lips, Harry lowered his mouth to the pale skin at the base of Draco's neck.

Draco moaned at the touch of Harry's lips. The taller boy bit down lightly on his soft skin and brushed his tongue over the trapped flesh. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and pulled him closer. He felt his feet slip and grasped more tightly to the raven-haired Gryffindor as he felt himself caught in Harry's arms and lowered to the ground.

Harry released Draco's neck and moved his tongue up to Draco's ear, causing the Slytherin to quiver under him. A spasm rippled through Harry's own body as he felt Draco's tongue touch his own ear in response. Harry moved his head slightly to the side and caught the surprised Draco on the mouth with another passionate kiss. As their tongues battled in their mouths, their hands roamed all over, exploring each other's bodies and learning where and how to touch one another.

The bell to start the first afternoon period startled the two of them out of their activities. They quickly sat up and straightened their clothing, Draco smoothing out his hair at the same time.

"Shoot we still need to get our warm clothing," Harry said standing to run back to his dormitory.

"Harry, you're a wizard," Draco tutted him, standing up and pulling out his wand, "Accio Heavy Cloak." A few seconds later a heavy fur cloak soared out of the castle doors and into Draco's hands. It was followed a second later by Harry's own wool cloak.

"Ready and waiting I see," Isil's voice issued from behind them, "we'll just wait till Hagrid's class arrives," he told them as they looked around for their means of transport. Isil was dressed in the same cloak he had worn the night he had arrived. "I told him he could watch," Isil said his eyes twinkling.

A few minutes later, Hagrid came up the hill, followed by a nervous looking class of fourth years. As they came closer Harry could make out what Hagrid was telling the class and he suddenly understood why they looked so frightened and he felt a little nervous himself.

"…now, 'Arry faced one himself when he was yer age, an' a right fine job he did of it too. There's nothin to fear from this one, tame as a cat I reckon… Ah Professor, its good ter see ya, thanks fer givin me fourth years a chance to see him." Hagrid beamed down at Isilomir who grinned back.

"Vin," Isil called out, "Come here, there are some people who would like to see you before we leave." There was an inquisitive chirp as Vin appeared in the air in front of the class. There were several gasps and oo's from the students and Vin puffed out his chest importantly.

"If you would all step back," Isilomir said to the class, "Vin needs room, if he's going to bear the three of us."

"He's so small though…" someone started to say, but trailed off as Vin was growing. Fast. He quickly reached the size of a horse, then he was as big as a hippogriff, and in just a few seconds he had reached the size of the dragon from Harry's vision two nights previously.

"Can you all see 'im now?" Hagrid's voice rang out. He sounded ecstatic. Vin put his head down on the ground next to Isil, who reached out and scratched one of his eye ridges.

"You may come forward and touch him if you like." Isil told the class, "Get those cloaks on you two," he said to Harry and Draco. Hagrid spent the next ten minutes explaining the virtues of dragons to his class while they filed forward one by one to touch Vin. The dragon himself seemed to be very pleased with the attention and looked disappointed when Isil told him it was time to leave.

"All right Harry, you first," Isil said as Vin extended his forearm to help Harry up. Draco followed him and Isil jumped up, landing neatly behind Draco. "Stand back please," he called down to the students still watching below. Hagrid shuffled them all back as Vin spread his wings. With a great leap, the dragon was airborne and beating hard. Another sweep of his wings and the castle was below them.

This was nothing like anything Harry had ever experienced before. Not even the thestrals moved this fast or this smoothly.

"This will feel a little strange, but don't panic," Isil's voice came from behind him. Harry opened his mouth to ask what would feel strange when the world around him disappeared.

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Ok I promise to do my very best to post another chapter by the end of the week. Till next time guys.


	15. Chapter 14

Well I almost got this up before the weekend, and seeing as how my weekend lasts till Monday, I'm gonna say this counts. There has been a slight lack in reviews that has made me think people have stopped reading this, but true to my previous promise, as long as I get one review, I'll still keep posting. So send in those reviews and enjoy.

**Jujube15 – **Now I just have to ask. Was the emote cause you knew what was happening? or cause you knew better than to try and guess? Anyway enjoy this chapter.

**DestinyEntwinements** – What's happening you ask? Well I'll tell you what's happening…. on second thought you should prolly just read it lol. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 14**

Harry screamed, or at least he wanted to scream. He stretched his mouth as wide as it would go but no sound came out. Panic set in and he grasped behind him but he couldn't feel Draco there. He realized suddenly that he couldn't feel Vin underneath him either.

_Don't worry,_ Vin's voice sounded inside his head, _it will be all right, I am here._ As the dragon spoke the world reappeared around Harry and he was aware of the crushing force with which Draco was squeezing him. He reached up and gripped the blonde's gloved hand with his own as he took in the scene below them.

They were winging over green countryside dotted with trees. There wasn't a building or any other sign of civilization in sight as they swooped westward. Then on the horizon a glinting of sunlight off metal brought the boys' eyes up as the most beautiful building they had ever seen reared up. Vin circled around the structure at a shallow angle, giving his passengers an excellent view.

The castle, for that was the only term fitting for it, was larger than anything Harry or Draco had ever seen. Its three towers soared into the low clouds, disappearing from view. The whole thing seemed to be frozen water rather than stone and metal. As they flew around it Harry couldn't see a single sharp edge in the whole impressive edifice. There were several platforms supported by columns surrounding the castle and connected by delicate looking bridges. Most of these platforms were over the cliff on which the castle was built, but some dropped their pillars straight into the waves beneath. The grandest of all of these platforms had no columns at all, and jutted out over the waters pointing due west. It was large enough for Vin to have landed on with no worries about dropping his passengers over the side.

As they passed the last of the smaller platforms, Harry and Draco both gasped at the sight before them. The entirety of the western face of the castle was made of glass. They were able to look in and see the grand entrance hall that stretched fifteen stories from floor to ceiling. Further in, towards the center of the castle, they could see a column of floors rising up in tiers with a central staircase spiraling up through them. The floor of the hall itself was covered in an extensive garden with plants of all sorts and people strolling through them.

As Vin swooped lower, down towards the frothing waves, Harry noticed that the castle extended down into the sea itself. He was able to pick out windows in the rock and he noticed that the entire cliff was simply a smooth continuation of the castle wall above.

"Hang on tight," Isilomir yelled from behind him, "we're going to land."

"Where!" Draco shouted back, "There's no place to land." Harry saw what he meant. There were only the whitecaps crashing against the cliff below them. A second later Draco's question was answered as Vin's legs brushed the tops of the waves. The dragon settled down and folded his wings to his back, paddling with all four legs to stay afloat.

"There now that wasn't so bad," said Isil, grinning at the two panting boys in front of him, "Take us into the cavern please Vin, before our charges here overheat." Vin snorted, sending spray out in front of him, and began to paddle towards the cliff. Harry and Draco looked up and saw an enormous cave that had been invisible from an aerial perspective. As they passed into the cavern, Harry noticed that the ocean waves stopped in a straight line, leaving the waters inside the cavern calm and undisturbed.

"Welcome boys, to Silanost." Isil said as Vin swept up to the dock. There were many people moving around, unloading and loading the gray ships in dock. As the three of them dismounted from Vin, Draco noticed that every person passing near them was offering a half bow to Isil before moving on. Vin snorted again and Isil laughed at him.

"Fine, you may go swim now," he told the dragon, slapping his muzzle affectionately, "just be sure to dry before we have to leave, or I'll have to get one of the others to take us back." Vin looked affronted by that and snorted again before turning around and heading for the open water. As he cleared the mouth of the cave he gave an awkward little leap into the air and dove down into the sea. A white shape barreled into the water on his heels, causing a wave to roll towards the cavern. Harry and Draco both reached for their wands to avoid being swamped, but the wave vanished when it reached the cave mouth.

"What was that?" Draco asked.

"Probably Huine," said Isilomir, "my mate's dragon, and Vin's mate." Harry and Draco were still starring at his back as he led them towards a large spiral staircase at the back of the cavern.

"Does this go all the way up?" Harry gasped as he craned his head to see the top of the stairs. The torch-lit spiral continued up as far as the eye could see, disappearing in a pinpoint of light.

"It does indeed, Harry," Isil said patting the Gryffindor on the back. "Come on you two, we have a bit of a climb before we get there."

"Get where," they asked eagerly as they started to climb.

"You'll see," Isil said with a grin. They climbed silently for a while, Isil pointing out various things about the castle as they walked.

"Sir," Draco said as they climbed past another level of doors, "Why is everyone bowing to you?"

"Oh you noticed?" Isil said, "Well you see, it's because I'm their king." He grinned apologetically over his shoulder at his two students, who stopped dead.

"A king?" asked Harry.

"Yes… is something wrong?" Isil asked looking at the two of them.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Draco asked, now glaring accusingly up at his teacher.

"Would it have changed anything?" Isil asked evenly, but before either boy could say something more he said, "Come on, it's on the next level up." He moved on up the stairs with the two boys now running to see who could get there first. Isil caught up with the two of them at the next landing. Both boys were looking slightly flushed but there breathing was normal.

"Well I see you did learn something yesterday," Isil commented as he moved passed them to the door. The two students grinned at the praise. "Just step in here, and don't bother trying to talk right away, it's a bit noisy inside." After stepping through the door, Draco thought Isilomir couldn't have been farther off in his description. It wasn't just noisy; it was a cacophony. Draco fought the urge to cover his ears as he looked around.

The room they had entered was easily as large as the great hall at Hogwarts. The floor was covered with forges and anvils of all shapes and sizes. The noise was generated from the combination of the roar of the fires and the clanging of hammers all throughout the hall. At the far end, Draco thought he could make out a raised area through the smoke, but he couldn't be sure. As Isil led them on a twisting path through the hall, Draco noticed other doors through which people were constantly moving. He wondered why the whole room didn't fill up with smoke, as there did not appear to be windows of any sort. He glanced up at the roof to see where it was all going and realized with a bit of a shock it was disappearing a full meter before it reached the arched roof.

They reached the far end of the hall and Draco noticed that there was indeed a raised area at this end, with a flight of narrow stone steps against one wall leading up to it. Isil had already begun climbing the stairs and Draco and Harry followed quickly behind him. As soon as their feet touched the stairs, the noise in the rest of the room disappeared.

Fearing they had done something they shouldn't have, Draco turned to look back, half expecting everyone in the hall to be staring at them. He saw that the industry had not stopped in the hall, nor was anyone starring at them. Harry grinned at him as he turned around.

"More magic," Harry said as he began to climb the stairs after Isil.

"Yeah I guess," said Draco, as he started climbing after Harry. He found himself wishing that the boy's robes weren't hiding his body from view. He shook his head to clear the thoughts that were popping up. _I need to concentrate right now,_ he thought. He reached the top and moved over to where Harry and Isil were standing.

It wasn't entirely quiet up here Draco noticed. There were two people, a man and a woman, who were working, but they weren't pounding like the smiths below. The boy, for Draco now saw these people could not be much older than he was, bent down to add something to the fire over which the girl was working. When he stood he noticed Isilomir standing with Harry and Draco and tapped the girl on the arm.

The girl looked over her shoulder and noticed the visitors. She smiled and pulled the object she had been working on from the flames and dropped it in a barrel of water. She turned around as the steam hissed up and walked towards the three guests.

"Master, you've returned," the girl said excitedly, offering only a nod of her head to Isil. Draco wondered why she didn't bow fully. After all Isil was the king wasn't he?

"Balance Guardian Thalionore," the boy said with a smile, slightly inclining his shoulders. This didn't make any sense to Draco who had been brought up to notice social behaviors. Everyone they had passed so far had treated Isil as one of superior station, as they should if he was king. These two teenagers however, were treating him as an equal even if they were addressing him formally.

"I have indeed returned Tanya, but only for a short while," Isil responded nodding back. "Shadow Apprentice Menon," he added nodding to the boy with a grin spreading over his own face. "Harry, Draco, these two are the masters of this forge. They will be making your swords for you and, depending on your weapon, they may be your teachers as well. This," he said gesturing to the girl, "is Tanya Ilumacil, my Apprentice Guardian, and a master of the katana, and her companion is…"

"Menon Mormacil," the boy said, turning to face the two Hogwarts students, "Shadow Apprentice of Gwathtal Thalionore the Shadow Guardian, and master of the long sword."

"Now Menon," Isil said grinning wider still, "I've told you not to throw names around with strangers. Besides you don't need to impress these two with your affiliation to my son." Isil smiled as Menon burst out laughing.

"You always let me have my joke Isil," he said when he had regained his composure, "anyway these are the boys are they?"

"Yes," Isil said standing aside, "Tanya, Menon, I'd like you to meet Gryffindor Harry Potter, and Slytherin Draco Malfoy." The two students nodded to the two apprentices.

"Very well," said Menon, moving forward, "we won't waste any time. If you would extend your sword arm Harry?" Menon gestured at a shelf and an item that looked suspiciously like a lighter flew into his hand.

"My what?" asked Harry, confused.

"Your dominant hand," Menon corrected himself. Harry nodded and extended his right hand. Menon placed the lighter underneath his hand and flicked it on. Harry felt the flame touch his skin but it did not burn. He felt the flame spread up and watched as it circled around and began collecting in his hand. As the shape grew, Menon looked up at Isil.

"I thought you said he didn't have a sword," the boy said, looking accusingly at Isilomir. Isil blinked and then laughed.

"Of course, how could I forget," the teacher laughed, "but as Vin is bathing, I'm sure Gwathtal won't mind if Arcal does an errand for me." Isil looked off into the distance for a moment and then a black dragon appeared before him and landed on the table. "Ah, Arcal," said Isil, writing a note on a scrap of parchment, "Take this to Ravenclaw please and bring back the item he gives you." The dragon cheeped in response and took off, disappearing again.

"Well while we wait for him," Menon said releasing Harry's hand, "how about we see what you'll be getting Draco?" He held out his hand and Draco extended his own hand a little nervously. He hadn't liked the look of that fire and he wasn't at all sure what it would feel like.

When Menon clicked the lighter this time, however, water rose from it to engulf Draco's hand. Unlike the fire in Harry's hand, the water did not form a specific shape; rather it just concentrated itself into the center of Draco's palm. After letting it flow for a minute or so, Menon clicked the lighter off and pulled a small knife from his belt.

"This will hurt a bit Draco," Menon said before inserting the knife into the pool of water on Draco's palm. Draco watched a little bit fascinated as the knife approached his palm. Then he realized what Menon was going to do and tried to back away. The boy's grip was too strong however, and Draco could only watch as the tip of the knife pierced his flesh. He forced himself not to scream as the knife slid first one centimeter then two centimeters into his palm.

Harry moved to Draco's side and gripped his free hand, resting his head on the blonde's shoulder. Draco felt the knife start to pull out and couldn't help but watch as his blood began to flow freely into the water. In a short while, the water was entirely red with Draco's blood. Menon reached two fingers into the small pool and pulled upward. The water formed itself into a slender blade that was slightly curved. It was not an actual sword but a representation of one.

When the last drop of the bloody water had left Draco's hand, Menon was holding a representation of a katana. He placed his free hand on the cut on Draco's palm, healing it, before turning and placing the watery object on a table.

"We're all done for now," Menon said as Tanya held out her hands.

Just then, Fawkes appeared in a burst of flame and dropped a long, wrapped object into Tanya's outstretched hands. She caught it neatly and placed it on the table next to the watery representation of Draco's sword.

"We'll send them to you later when they are finished," Tanya added.

"Come on boys," Isil said starting back towards the stairs, "We have to go back to the castle soon anyways." Harry and Draco looked reluctantly at the table their swords were sitting on, but followed Isil just the same.

He led them back through the forge and onto the main staircase again. When Harry and Draco turned to start back down, Isil turned the other direction.

"We're going up again," he said, "While a water landing is just fine, you don't want to be wet when you go between." With that cryptic remark, Isil began climbing again. He continued to give them a commentary on the levels they passed and they climbed the stairs for at least twenty minutes.

Draco had lost count of how many levels they had passed when they finally reached the ground level. The view of the entry hall was worth the climb though. The ceiling vaulted fifteen stories at the center, where it joined again with the outer wall. The ceiling itself was just the outer wall sloping outward from the middle of the structure to its edge.

"You have about three quarters of an hour before we have to leave," Isil told them as they looked around. "You may roam around the gardens here until then, I will call you when it's time." With that he disappeared into the crowd of people.

Harry grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him off towards one of the fountain gardens. Truth be told, the two boys spent only a third of the time looking at the gardens. The rest of the time they spent in passionate embrace in the secluded spot they had taken fifteen minutes to find.

As they lay on their backs with their arms wrapped around each other, they talked softly about their relationship. They talked about how fast they were moving and how far they wanted to go. Part way through their discussion, Draco dropped off to sleep. Grinning down at the blonde, Harry gently mused up his boyfriend's hair. He looked up and watched the patterns made by the setting sun on the nearest white marble column as it shone through the western wall.

The diffused light and the warm presence of Draco next to him were making Harry drowsy. _Oh well,_ he thought, _I'm sure to wake up when Isil calls._ With this thought in mind, Harry snuggled against Draco and slipped into sleep.

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The next chapter is almost done, so there's a good chance it'll be up as soon as you guys review this chapter. Hope there are more of you out there enjoying this than have been reviewing. Ciao.


	16. Chapter 15

Alright here's another piece of this monster called a story. You guys have finally caught up in my writing and luckily I just had midterms. Which mean… more time to write! So yay for no more midterms. Anyway things will be heating up shortly and the action part you may have been wondering about shows up in the next chapter. Now the only problem is writing these things fast enough…

**Jujube15 – **Lol. Well as long as I keep getting reviews you'll have a chapter to be happy about. At least until I manage to finish this mess.

**DestinyEntwinements** – Wish I could follow them but the muse bites hard. Anyway here's more fun for you. Enjoy

**commander adama **– YAY for new reviewers. Hmmm what you're looking for will be granted in… chapter 16… I think… anyway, please keep reading and reviewing. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 15**

Draco became aware that his back was very warm and he was lying on something soft. He wiggled his feet under the sheets enjoying the feel of the soft silk-like material against his feet. His legs quickly became entangled in another pair of satin-clad feet and he realized why he was so warm. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Harry's hand resting against his stomach. He grinned to himself and looked around to see where they were.

The room they were in was not made of the familiar gray stone blocks of Hogwarts. The surfaces and furniture looked to have been poured into place out of white marble. Every piece of fabric in view was green or silver, which suited Draco just fine. Draco carefully moved Harry's hand and untangled his feet. He stood and walked around the room, noting that their cloths were all neatly hung. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't place what it was. He located the bathroom and showered and relieved himself. When he returned to the bedroom, Harry was still sleeping, so Draco moved over towards the window.

Draco gasped as he peered out. It was just before dawn and in the grayness Draco could just make out the green fields they had flown over stretching out to the east. Draco stood there, breathless as the sun slowly climbed over the horizon, revealing the emerald fields of Cornwall rolling slowly into the distance. A pair of arms encircled his waste as Harry's head came to rest on his shoulder.

"You know," Harry murmured in his ear, "I could get used to mornings like this."

"You're not the only one," said Draco turning to kiss his boyfriend. He stopped mid turn his eyes going wide.

"Morning," he repeated, "Harry, weren't we supposed to go back to Hogwarts last night?" Harry blinked at him and then nodded. It took another instant for his sleepy mind to get the point.

"We missed Isil's call last night," he groaned, turning towards the bathroom, now hurrying to shower. Draco quickly moved to his clothes and began to dress. When Harry came back Draco was already to go and was rewarded with a chance to watch his boyfriend change. _It's a shame he has to cover up,_ Draco found himself thinking as Harry finished dressing. As both boys stepped out of the room, a young boy dressed entirely in red was coming down the corridor. He took one look at the two Hogwarts' students and walked right passed them.

"Excuse me," Harry spoke up as he moved away, "Could you tell us where Isilomir is?" At the sound of his voice the boy froze and slowly turned around.

"Do you know where he is?" Draco asked this time, a little confused by the boy's reaction.

"Mannale?" the boy spoke.

"What?" Draco asked, looking to Harry to see if he had understood.

"Mannale?" the boy repeated more sternly this time and the boys noticed he was resting his hand on a sword at his side.

"Look," said Harry holding his hands up, "we didn't mean to offend you…." he trailed off as a red dragon appeared in front of the boy, chittering madly at him. The boy looked even more shocked for a moment, before he dropped his hand back to his side and bowed to the dragon. He then motioned to the two boys to follow him. The dragon perched on the boy's shoulder still chirping at him in a scolding tone.

Draco looked at Harry. Harry shrugged and started following the scolding dragon and the boy. They walked for several minutes before coming to a hall of sorts. It was a single room with only one table in it and around this table, sixteen chairs, nine high backed and seven regular ones had been placed. As they approached the table, Draco could see that all the chairs were occupied except for three. One of these was a normal chair and next to it, were two empty high backed chairs. The boy moved to the normal chair and sat himself.

"Ah boys, you're awake," Isil called to them from the table, "Come and sit with us, we won't be eating since we will be having dinner shortly." The two Hogwarts students glanced at him curiously as they sat down in the empty chairs. Draco took the green one next to Isil, while Harry sat in the red one.

"Well let me introduce you to everyone," Isil said, motioning around the table as he sipped his tea. "You've already met Raphael I see," he went on, gesturing to the red clad boy, "and his master is sitting next to him. That's Ghin, the Guardian of Destruction." Draco looked and saw a boy who appeared to be only a few years older than his apprentice and was also dressed in red. "Then there is Arthur and his master Daniel, Guardian of Fear, and the only celestial guardian to adopt a mortal name." Draco saw that these two seemed to be dressed in the most modern fashion though there clothing was entirely green. "Next is another one you already know." Draco nodded recognizing Menon from the day before. Harry was only half listening as he sipped a cup of tea. "Next to him is my son, Gwathtal, Guardian of Shadow." Draco immediately spotted the resemblance between the two men, though Gwathtal was decidedly paler than his father. Both Gwathtal and Menon were dressed in black. "Beyond him are Ariel, and her master, Aerion, Guardian of Creation," The age difference in this pair was the most pronounced of anyone and Draco guessed the girl to be in her early teens and the man to be in his late fifties at least. Both were wearing blue. "Then we have Gwen and her master, Aerial, Guardian of Hope." Draco noticed that these two women seemed to always be smiling. Their smiles not only brightened their faces but also the space around them too. Their clothing was all yellow. "Finally there is Lance and his master, my love, Morniel, the Guardian of Light." Draco had to lean over the table to get a look at the two, and he had to admit that the woman was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. She and her apprentice were both clad in white, providing a stark contrast to their jet-black hair. "Oh, and you already know Tanya of course." Isil finished and Draco nodded to the girl who seemed to be dressed exactly the same as the day before.

As Draco sipped his tea he looked around the table again, matching names to faces one more time. It was then that he noticed the words carved in two languages on each high backed chair proclaiming the occupants' status. He craned his head back to look at his own seat, and sure enough in English, and the other language he couldn't read, the words, 'Guardian of Water,' were carved.

"Well we should be off," Isil said. He stood and everyone at the table rose as well. "No reason to be late is there boys?" he asked smiling at Harry and Draco.

"Weren't we supposed to be back last night sir?" Harry asked, "It's a little late to be worrying about arriving on time."

"Don't worry about that Harry," Isil responded leading them towards the large doors at the end of the hall, "We'll be back in time for dinner." Draco looked at Isil quizzically again, hopping they would get a chance to eat before dinner tonight. As they stepped out of the hall they realized they were standing at the top of the central staircase.

"We won't be walking today," Isil said as he saw the dismayed expressions on the boys' faces, "Follow me." Isil stepped off the side of the staircase and hovered in mid air.

"Don't be afraid," Tanya said from behind them, "you won't fall." Draco and Harry nodded and gingerly put a foot over the edge. Their feet came into contact with something and, emboldened, they walked into the center where Isil was. The rest of the guardians filed out of the hall with their apprentices and when everyone was standing on nothing, Isil nodded.

The ground seemed to drop out from under them and they plummeted down. To Harry it felt like the fastest elevator ride ever, but to Draco, who had no experience with elevators, it was incomparable to anything. When Draco felt that they would surly continue falling until they hit the bottom, he realized they were slowing down. The group came to a stop at the ground floor and Isil led them off towards the large glass wall. Draco noticed the two large doors that had been closed the previous evening were now open and sixteen people were standing at attention, each holding a cloak.

The group neatly arranged themselves into two lines, the guardians, including Harry and Draco, in one line, and the apprentices in the other. They stopped in front of the waiting people, who held the cloaks out to their respective owners. As Draco donned his own cloak he noticed that Tanya kept looking at him. He surreptitiously checked himself over to make sure nothing was wrong, but couldn't find anything that would keep attracting her attention.

When everyone was ready, Isilomir led the way out onto the large platform that Draco had noticed the day before. About half way along the walkway, Isil took a small silver horn from inside his cloak and blew a clear tenor note onto the wind. It was answered by a multitude of horns from above, below and all around them. Draco looked for the source of the sound and saw the morning sunlight glinting off of spears and helms on the higher platforms. _Guards,_ he thought as they continued towards the platform. Then the seven shapes winging down onto the platform caught his attention. The platform was much larger than he had thought, Draco realized as all seven dragons landed on the edges with plenty of room to spare. In addition to Vin, there was one dragon of each color Draco noticed: black, white, red, green, blue, and yellow.

Harry and Draco followed Isil over to Vin. Isil leaped up to the dragon's neck and Draco wondered how he and Harry were going to get up since Vin was using all four feet to stay firmly attached to the platform in the wind that was blowing. Tanya stepped up next to him and offered her hands as a step. Draco nodded his thanks and put his foot in her hands. She launched him up and Isil caught him by the hand until he could swing a leg over Vin's neck. Harry followed him a moment later and Tanya leaped neatly into place behind him. Isil looked around to make sure everyone was mounted before lifting his fist into the air. As one, the seven dragons turned and jumped off the platform, spreading their wings. The other dragons formed into a V-shape behind Vin, who led them on a circuit around the castle. As they passed back over the ocean the world once again disappeared from around them. Draco was pleased to note this time that he did not want to scream.

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When the world reappeared Harry immediately noticed that the air was different. It no longer felt like a fresh morning, but like a lazy evening. He also noticed that the light was now the color of a sunset rather than just after dawn. As the formation winged around the mountain they had appeared next to, Harry saw the familiar shape of Hogwarts lit by the setting sun. The seven Dragons let out a deafening bugle that had the almost immediate effect of emptying the castle of all students and teachers. Isil had them circle around the castle twice so that by the time they came in for a landing, Dumbledore had the students arranged by year to great the guests.

After their passengers dismounted, the dragons shrank back to their smaller size and perched on their rider's shoulders. The group began walking towards the castle and the assembled teachers and students. Harry noticed that Hagrid was almost dancing in excitement behind the rows of students as the dragon bearing guardians approached.

"Greetings Headmaster," Isil said loudly as they approached, "I humbly request housing for my circle and their apprentices for a while within your castle." He bowed to Dumbledore and the rest of the guardians and apprentices followed suit. Still in line with the guests, Harry and Draco bowed as well. When they straightened up Harry noticed that Dumbledore was beaming at them all.

"You are most welcome friends and the facilities of my school are at your disposal, though I would ask one of your circle to be cautious with his activities as we have quite enough fear hear already," Dumbledore said glancing down the line. Daniel and Arthur bowed again to show they understood. "Now then, I seemed to have missed the start of term banquet this year," Dumbledore continued, now grinning, "So if you will all proceed inside, the feast should be just about ready. Your companions will join me at the high table, of course," he said, motioning to the students to begin entering the castle again.

"Of course," Isil said, now grinning too, "We will require nine seats only though, as our apprentices are used to serving their masters at meals. They would of course be happy to serve your faculty as well." Dumbledore nodded his thanks and led the teachers and guests into the castle as well. When they reached the great hall, Harry and Draco tried to peal off from the group of guests and head to the Gryffindor table, but Tanya grabbed their arms and propelled them after Isilomir.

"Let go Tanya," Harry hissed at her, "We're supposed to sit over there."

"The Headmaster said that Isilomir's companions were to sit at High Table," Tanya whispered back still pushing the two boys in front of her, "and Isil requested nine chairs to be added. If you two go sit over there, there will be two empty seats." They had reached the table by this point and Dumbledore sat in his seat in the center and Isil sat at his right. To Harry's immense embarrassment, Tanya pushed him into the seat on Dumbledore's left and Draco into the next seat down. Professor McGonagall sat in the seat next to Draco, looking slightly amused at the seating arrangements, and the other guardians dispersed themselves along the table among the rest of the teachers.

Harry looked up, out into the hall and noticed that Hermione and Ron were staring at him, as were most of the students. He quickly looked away and found himself face to face with Dumbledore for the first time since the previous year.

"Well Harry, you managed to sit up here again," the Headmaster grinned at him, his eyes twinkling behind his half moon spectacles. "Though this is not quite the same as the Yule Ball in your fourth year," he added taking a sip from his glass. The food appeared on the table in front of them and Harry reached for the nearest platter, only to be beaten to it by someone else. He looked around and noticed that none of the others seated at the high table were reaching for food; rather the apprentices were serving them. Having no other choice, and feeling increasingly embarrassed with the attention he was receiving, Harry sat patiently while Tanya filled his plate with all his favorite foods.

"Ah thank you my dear," Dumbledore said as Tanya served him as well, "I mustn't allow myself to grow too used to this," he added to Harry his eyes twinkling again. When all the apprentices had finished serving their masters and the staff, Dumbledore stood and addressed the students. "I know we don't usually stand on ceremony here, so I understand it must be hard to sit their while all of us old fogies are served." Harry looked around the hall surprised at what Dumbledore was saying. Sure enough there wasn't a single platter of food to be seen in the hall. "Far be it from me," Dumbledore continued, "to withhold such fine nourishment from youngsters such as you. Tuck in!" He resumed his seat as the rest of the hall was filled with the sudden noise of people filling their plates.

"Not to mention I'd be berated by a certain house elf if he found out I was denying my students the excellent cooking provided by his staff," Dumbledore added to Harry as he tucked his beard inside his robes.

"I hope Dobby hasn't been causing too many problems," Harry said, feeling slightly guilty if Dumbledore was having problems with the elf.

"No trouble at all Harry," Dumbledore said amiably, "He's a fine cook and an excellent boss." Harry nodded, as his mouth was full. "Now Harry," Dumbledore went on, managing to chew and talk at the same time, "I know you want to settle things once and for all; however I must ask you to be patient. We still have to locate the horcruxes before we can destroy them. For now just concentrate on your studies with Isilomir, but don't neglect your other classes as well. I will excuse both you and Draco from the classes today as you both appear to be very tired, but I expect you to be caught up tomorrow." Harry finally managed to clear his mouth long enough to speak. He had nearly forgotten about the horcruxes with all the events of the past two days. His breath to speak turned into a yawn. Dumbledore was right he was tired, even though he had only woken up an hour or two before.

"Sir," Harry said after a few minutes silence, "what was dying like?"

"Well," Dumbledore sighed leaning back in his chair. The chattering and clinking of silverware around them seemed to be completely at odds with the seriousness of their conversation. Harry was dimly aware that Draco was having an intense conversation about something with McGonagall and Aerial behind him. "I thought this question would have been asked sooner," Dumbledore continued, "Do you fear death Harry?" Harry considered this question.

"No," he said finally, "I think I've seen too much death to fear it."

"Then why do you ask?" Dumbledore asked him. "If it is not to assuage a fear you have." Harry thought about this again, but Draco's voice interrupted his thoughts, as he got excited about something in his conversation. As he fought to get his concentration back Harry realized why he was asking.

"It's not death I fear," Harry said, "It's what will happen to Dra-… to those I leave behind." He said hopping Dumbledore had not caught the slip.

"That is a very wise and caring answer Harry," Dumbledore said nodding, "To think of another before yourself, even in death is admirable. That is what separates you from Voldemort. He only thinks of himself. You have that depth of compassion that frightens him. If that compassion is strong, death cannot stop it." Dumbledore took a sip from his goblet and spoke again, "The first thing you must understand Harry, is that the death I suffered was not a true death anymore than the deaths of ghosts are true deaths. The difference is that a ghost chooses to become a spirit and at the moment of death trades life for a shadow of life, whereas I was cursed and only separated from my body. What I suffered was not a true death, so that I can not describe to you." Harry sighed and looked back at his now empty plate.

"Would you like more, Gryffindor?" Tanya asked from behind him. It took Harry a second to realize she was addressing him.

"No, thank you Tanya," he said motioning her away.

"It was like being alive," Dumbledore said quietly. Harry looked over at him quickly. Dumbledore was starring at his plate too, but his eyes were looking far beyond the plate to something distant. "The only thing was that no one could hear or see me," Dumbledore went on, "I saw you all at my funeral last year; I followed you throughout the summer, knowing my time was short. If Isil had not returned I would have indeed died, but then I would not be able to answer this question for you. I will tell you Harry," Dumbledore said looking up and meeting Harry's eyes, "what I went through was very lonely. I can only hope that death is a nicer experience."

Harry thought over everything Dumbledore had said through the rest of the feast. The dessert was spectacular and the hall buzzed with laughter. Harry had been listening to a discussion about some magical theory or another between Isilomir, Dumbledore, and Flitwick, when he noticed that the rest of the hall was empty. He felt something land on his shoulder and looked over to see Draco's head resting there.

"Well it's been a long day," Dumbledore said from Harry's other side, "And it is getting late. Tanya will show you where you'll be sleeping tonight. Perhaps it would be kinder not to wake him," Dumbledore added motioning to Draco. Harry nodded and gently picked up the Slytherin, resting Draco's head on his chest. Draco was very light Harry noticed, as he carried his boyfriend out of the hall, following Tanya. When they left the hall, Ron and Hermione immediately set them upon.

"That was so funny Harry!" Ron said, a grin on his face as he slapped Harry on the shoulder, not noticing the sleeping Draco in Harry's arms. "You should have seen your face at the beginning of the feast. You were redder than the roast!" he was laughing now and Hermione gave him a scathing look. She moved over to Harry and gestured that he let her carry Draco. Harry was suddenly aware of what Ron would think if he noticed Draco. He was grateful at once for both his friend's obtuseness and for the low light in the entrance hall. He set Draco on his feet and Hermione and Tanya supported him. Harry nearly fell over himself then but was caught by Ron.

"What's up with you mate?" Ron asked sounding a little concerned.

"Nothing," Harry assured him through a yawn, "Just tired."

"This way," Tanya said, starting towards the stairs, "that flight can take a lot out of you your first time," she said over her shoulder as she and Hermione helped Draco up the stairs. Harry opened his mouth to tell her it hadn't been his first time, but it turned into another yawn. It was a long climb, Harry noted, and he was glad for Ron's shoulder to lean on. He was a little surprised when they arrived in front of the stone gargoyle that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Tanya turned left at the statue and walked down the corridor till she was standing in front of a painting.

As Harry approached he was able to see what the painting was of. The scene was a clearing in the forest and their appeared to only be two subjects in the painting, a snake and a lion. Both were sleeping and the lion was snoring audibly. As Tanya moved towards the painting the snake opened an eye and raised its head.

"May I be of ssssome assssisssstensssse?" the serpent asked eyeing the group of students. Harry half expected Tanya to jump out of her skin when the painting addressed her, but she either was not easily surprised or she had been expecting it.

"I'm sorry to wake you Salazar," the girl said, bowing slightly to the snake, "but I have your heir here and he would like to sleep in a bed tonight I believe."

"Ohhh? Issss that sssso…" the snake hissed eyeing Tanya. "Well dear, I'm ssssorry to dissssapoint you, but my heir may not enter thissss chamber until Godric'ssss heir issss here assss well." The serpent lowered his head back to the branch he was sleeping on.

"The heir of Gryffindor is also here," Tanya said, motioning to Harry. Harry nodded affirmatively at this, then stole a quick peek at Ron to see how he was taking all this information. Ron looked utterly confused and Harry grinned to himself.

"Oh issss he now?" the serpent perked up again at this, "I will wake Godric then, sssso he can ssssee for himsssself." The snake wrapped twice around the branch he was lying on and lowered the rest of his considerable length until his tail was resting on the lion's head. He convulsed his body once, causing his tail to sharply smack the top of the lion's head. The lion started up and looked around aleartly.

"Who the… what… where are the fools who poked a sleeping lion!" The lion nearly fell over again as he swayed on his feet but caught himself and looked up as Salazar tapped him on the head again.

"Godric, you need to acknowledge thissss lad sssso we can all go to ssssleep," the snake hissed as he pulled himself back onto the branch.

"Which lad?" Godric said, looking out at the group of students, "The blonde isn't mine Salazar, you should be able to see that. He's wearing a Slytherin badge."

"Not mine you dolt." The snake spat. Hermione thought she could detect affection in the snake's voice, as if amused at a long-standing joke. "The messy one who's asleep on his feet over there," Salazar said pointing in the general direction of Harry with his tail.

"Who are you calling messy?" Harry asked indignantly.

"Don't feel bad about it boy," Godric said, looking Harry up and down, "Slytherin is always commenting about our appearance, even if we are immaculate. Yes, yes, you seem to be one of mine indeed." The lion nodded. Then Harry had to hop backwards as the portrait suddenly swung outwards. "In you go then…" came the two voices from the front of the painting. With a hand on the wall to support him, Harry moved down the short passageway into a lounge area with one door leading off of it.

"Oh you get your own common room too…" Hermione said wonderingly, immediately heading for the bookshelves. "Wow," she exclaimed, "There are books here that even the library doesn't have…" she trailed off as she saw that Tanya was starring at her and Harry and Ron were laughing outright.

"You can read them all later love," Ron said affectionately, "I'm sure Harry'll let you in at any time… except when he's asleep on his feet."

"Oh…" Hermione said, grinning sheepishly, "of course, I'll see you tomorrow Harry," she waved at him as she and Ron left.

"Do they not know about you two?" Tanya asked tactfully as she followed Harry through the only door into the bedroom. Harry sighed as he looked around the room.

"No, we haven't told anyone officially," he said after a minute, "I think some of the faculty know, and I'm pretty sure Hermione has figured it out, but other than that it's not really meant to be public knowledge yet."

"I understand," Tanya said as she gently put Draco on the bed. "I will inform the other apprentices and Guardians before they say anything revealing." Harry nodded his thanks to the girl as she bowed and left the room.

"Where are we Harry?" a tired Draco said sleepily from behind him.

"In our new room," Harry said smiling at his sleepy boyfriend. "Let's go to bed, I'm beat." Harry used his wand to change them both into pajamas and kissed Draco goodnight before wrapping the boy in his arms and slipping off to sleep.

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Hermione and Ron did not get to sleep for a while longer. The first round of questions hit when they arrived at the Fat Lady.

"Oh there you two are," the painting said when Ron and Hermione stepped up, "and where is your friend, Mr. Potter? Is he spending the whole night out again? That can't be good for the boy's health you know." Ron and Hermione were just starring at the picture.

"You know when Harry goes out?" Hermione asked.

"Of course dear," the Fat Lady, "He's just like his father that way. You know he's the only one with an invisibility cloak around here, dears."

"So Harry was gone all night last night?" Ron asked suddenly seeming more interested than Hermione liked him to be when dealing with relationships. The last time he had been this interested was the year before whenever he was about to meddle with his sister's choices of boyfriends.

"Why yes," said the Fat Lady, seeming to be happy that someone was talking to her, "He left shortly after 11:00 and didn't come back till around six in the morning." Ron and Hermione were now staring open mouthed at the picture. "And you know," the Fat Lady went on, dropping her voice conspiratorially, "I think he was with someone when he came back." Ron's face took on a look of slightly crazy excitement.

"He was with someone?" he asked, nearly hopping up and down, "did you see who it was?"

"Ron I don't think we should…." Hermione began but the Fat Lady interrupted her.

"Why no I didn't," the portrait said, "but I heard the two of them coming down the hall from the direction of the stairs, and there was a giggling sound, and then some rustling of clothes, and then more giggling. Next thing I see, Mr. Potter is standing in front of me with this listless grin on his face and you'd never guess what he had on…"

"He didn't have the invisibility cloak?" Hermione asked, a little surprised. Draco and Harry must have had quite a night if Harry had forgotten it.

"Oh no, he had it, but he was trailing it behind him. Anyway, he was wearing a _Slytherin_ shirt!" the Fat Lady finished triumphantly. Hermione felt the bottom drop out of her stomach as she looked over at Ron, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Slytherin?" Ron asked, "You sure?"

"I'm pretty sure it was a green shirt with a snake on it…" the Fat Lady said appearing to think hard.

"Well anyway," Hermione said before the Fat Lady could continue, "Fwooper."

"Nice to talk with you," the Fat Lady said as she obligingly swung open for them. Hermione pulled Ron inside when he showed no intention of moving. He automatically sat in the armchair next to the fire as Hermione pulled her homework over.

"I still can't believe Harry's going out with a Slytherin!" Ron said suddenly. The entire common room went silent. Even Hermione had stopped writing. Ron looked around noticing all the faces and realized where he was. Before he could make any excuses or claims that it had been a joke, he was engulfed in a crowd of people asking questions.

"What was that Ron?" Seamus said, grinning from ear to ear, "has old Harry finally picked a lucky girl?"

"What do you mean Slytherin?" asked Neville looking horrified.

"What do you mean going out with?" Ginny said looking like she'd been slapped.

"Who is it?" Dean asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Since when?" the Creevy brothers asked in tandem.

"Who told you?" Parvarti and Lavender put in.

"Well…" began Ron, now looking very uncomfortable. He was interrupted by the sound of a book being slammed shut.

"Why do you all want to know?" Hermione asked furiously from her table. "It's Harry's life and he can date whomever he wants." With that, she picked up her books and went up the stairs to her dormitory.

"Right," Dean said turning back to the still cornered Ron, "now that your girlfriend is gone lets get back to Harry." Ron sighed and told them what he and Hermione had just heard from the Fat Lady, omitting the part about the invisibility cloak of course.

"Hmmmm," said Dean knowingly, "whispers and giggling are an almost sure sign of it, but I'm not convinced it was a Slytherin."

"Well," said Ginny, sounding very cunning, "He was away from the dorm all day right?" Ron nodded slowly, unsure what his sister was getting at. "Well, then he wouldn't have had time to return the shirt in question to its rightful owner so it should still be up there in your room." The four boys grinned as they led the group up the stairs and into the dormitory. There were no triumphant shouts when they entered the dorm however. They just all stood starring at the room that now only had four beds and four trunks in it. Harry's trunk and bed, as well as any sign he had ever inhabited the room, had vanished.

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Wow I don't know what my muse was on, but there it is. A nine pager, and I just noticed that the next chapter is threatening to be longer. Well till next time guys. Ciao.


	17. Chapter 16

Well you guys are lucky… a fire alarm went off at 2:00 A.M. this morning because someone put a bag of popcorn in the microwave for twenty minutes. As a result I slept through my alarm and missed my classes so I spent the entire day writing for you people. And because you were all really nice and sent me a wopping nine reviews for the last chapter, I decided to post the next one right away. Here you are, so enjoy.

**Jujube15 – **Ron sure is, and I'll let my muse know about the lawn mowers, toothbrushes and poodles.

**DestinyEntwinements** – lol course they're nosy. He's Harry Potter, everyone wants to know who he's going around with lol.

**commander adama **– You know, I was asking the same question for a few chapters, and then I got all these reviews. Thx and keep em coming.

**Hiero Kaze** – lol glad you like it.

**Draeconin – **I'm glad you like it. Also you've convinced me to do something I have been thinking about and that is to repost my disclaimer incase anyone didn't read it (cause I know you all read it thoroughly lol).

**Nigelous **– Thanks for all the constructive comments, and don't worry, not everything is as happy as it seems right now. The easiest way to think of it is that Harry and Draco are kind of stunned. They'll start thinking again soon.

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Now as I said above, I felt the need to repost my disclaimer in case, for some odd reason, you neglected it at the beginning lol.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That enviable right belongs to J.K. Rowling. I also do not own any references made to Lord of the Rings or Anne McCaffery's Pern novels. The things in this story that are mine are the non-HP and non-LOTR events you'll hear about, most of the minor (and some of the not-so-minor) characters, and maybe the plot (but I could be wrong). As a final warning in case you didn't read the summary, this story will eventually have slash of the HD and GS variety and maybe some others, I don't know what my muse might have in store for me so we'll see. It will also be heavily AU so don't expect to understand everything you read right off and don't get mad if I do something you don't agree with. Now enough of the boring stuff and on to the story before my muse bites me again!

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**Chapter 16**

Hermione was wakened the next morning by Ginny's shaking.

"Hermione I need you to do me a favor," the red head whispered as Hermione sat up.

"What is it Ginny?" Hermione asked noticing that it was five in the morning.

"Can you show me where Harry is sleeping?" the girl asked, "I want to talk with him about what Ron said last night." Hermione felt her heart sink when she heard the request. Seeing Harry together with Draco was probably the last thing that Ginny wanted to witness right now.

"Are you sure you want to go see him now?" asked Hermione, trying to get the other girl to understand that it would be a bad idea.

"I'm positive," Ginny said, missing the warning in the older girl's voice, "If I don't go now, I won't know where he is later and I don't want to talk to him about it at meals in front of everyone." Hermione sighed as she stood up. She knew Ginny wouldn't leave her alone until she got to see Harry, so Hermione picked up her wand and with a little flick, had herself cleaned and dressed.

"That's a neat trick," Ginny whispered as they headed for the bathroom.

"It lets me sleep later than Ron and still beat him to the common room," Hermione said with a sly grin as she entered the bathroom. When she came out, she led Ginny out of the common room and up to the seventh floor.

"Isn't that Dumbledore's office?" Ginny asked as they passed the stone gargoyle. Hermione nodded, moving past the statue and stopping in front of the painting of the clearing. She tapped politely on the edge of the frame and Salazar stuck his head out from behind the tree.

"Oh," the snake said sounding disgruntled, "it'ssss only your boy'ssss friend from lasssst night Godric," the snake shuddered on the grass as the lion's voice came out of the painting.

"What can I do for you miss?" Salazar's body shuddered again on the ground at the end of the question.

"Well," Hermione began, a little confused as to why the lion didn't come out from behind the tree, "I would like to see Harry if I may." An affirmative sounding hrmf came from behind the tree followed by another spasm of the snake's body.

"We should at leasssst assssk the boyssss firssst Godric," the snake hissed before shutting his eyes briefly. "The dark-haired one hassss given hissss permission," Salazar said, "you may enter." As the portrait swung out, Hermione thought she saw a hand grip the snake and drag him back behind the tree, but she didn't think about it. She stopped by the couch while Ginny looked around the room.

"You can come in here Hermione," Harry's voice came from the next room. He sounded sleepy but alert, so Hermione swallowed again and led the way into the bedroom. Harry was sitting up in bed, the sheets around his waist, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Hermione felt relieved that even though he was shirtless, he was at least wearing pajama pants.

"Morning Hermione," Harry began, "um who's that?" he glanced at Ginny. "Oh hold on," he said reaching behind him for his glasses. Hermione noticed the pale hand that picked the glasses up off the side table and handed them to Harry, but Ginny appeared to have missed it. "There we go," Harry said as he put on the glasses. "Oh… hi Ginny," he said a little nervously.

"Hello Harry," Ginny said and then she seemed to let loose all at once. "Is it true that you're dating a Slytherin?" Harry just starred at her his face going a little pale but instantly turning a slight shade of pink. "I knew it," Ginny went on without waiting for Harry to respond. She sounded pleased. "You aren't doing anything like that. Ron was just making that up last night. I should have known you'd never go after one of those girls."

"Ginny…" Harry tried to stop her but she kept on going. Her raving petered off though when Draco's hand appeared on Harry's shoulder and the blonde hauled himself upright, leaning on Harry as he rubbed his eyes.

"What's with all the shouting," he grumbled looking up at the guests. "You're loud enough to wake the dead Weasley." Ginny just starred back and forth between the two boys as Harry put his arm around Draco. Draco seemed to wake up more and noticed that it wasn't Ron who was standing there. "Don't you usually have the brother following you around Hermione?" he asked a little confused. Hermione chuckled at this version of Draco, half asleep complete with the tousled hair, which was so at odds with the slicked down permanent pressed figure she was accustomed to.

Ginny's face turned several different shades in the minute she stood staring at the two boys. One she loved and one she loathed. It was Hermione's chuckle that brought her back to her senses and she turned on her heal and bolted from the room, sobbing audibly. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Draco said taking hold of Harry's hand. Just then, they heard Ginny shouting from the next room.

"Let go of me! Put me down damn it! I don't want to see them ever again!" Her shouts were getting closer and Harry nervously watched the door. A moment later, Tanya entered the room followed by a flailing Ginny, who was suspended about a foot off the ground.

"Calm down or you'll hurt yourself," Tanya said over her shoulder, "I was told you were awake and came to see if you needed anything," she said turning back to the two boys. "When the door opened though, this girl was crying behind it and muttering something about, telling the others about Harry's Slytherin. When I asked her if anything was the matter, she just stood up and pushed past me, so I figured I'd bring her in here in case you wanted to ask her something. Really, it's very impolite to push past someone like that." Ginny had stopped struggling behind Tanya, but she still was looking murderous at being suspended in midair.

"You could set her down at least," Harry said reasonably as he stood up. Tanya lowered Ginny to the ground and Harry walked over and stood in front of her.

"I'm gonna go take a bath," Draco said suddenly and disappeared into the bathroom.

"We'll wait in the lounge," Hermione added, pulling Tanya after her. When the room was empty of everyone except the two of them, Ginny sobbed and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Harry.

"Why?" she asked, "Why him? Why's he better than me?" Harry just let her cry for a bit, patting her hair.

"I know you've always had a crush on me Ginny," Harry said soothingly, "but this is just the way it turned out. I met Draco even before I met you and your family, and I guess I've slowly been falling in love with him for the last six years."

"But," sobbed Ginny again, "he was always so cruel to us, to you. How can you just forget everything he's done?"

"I can't forget it Ginny," Harry told her, "but I can forgive him. For the past six years, Draco has been trying to be someone he isn't. He's been trying to be someone his father wanted him to be."

"How can you say that?" Ginny said, "How can you tell if he isn't just acting now so he can hurt you?" Harry sighed again.

"For the first eleven years of my life," he said softly, "I tried to be someone I wasn't. I tried desperately to be what my aunt and uncle wanted; a perfectly normal boy to whom nothing extraordinary happened. When I found out that it was not only okay to be weird and have strange things happen, but also encouraged, I changed completely. At home I was always this timid boy who avoided making friends and who was avoided. Here, I'm just one of the students, even if I am better known than the rest of you; I was finally one of the crowd. If I put on a hat, or put up a hood, I suddenly found that I could blend in and be just like everyone else around me. I found who I really was and I was truly happy for the first time in years."

"But Draco's had all that," Ginny said, no longer sobbing, but still trying desperately to convince him. "Why should he have been pretending to be someone else all these years?"

"Because," said Harry, now holding her at arms length and looking directly at her, "his father told him that he should hate me. His father told him how the world worked, and how to live his life. When his father was sent to Azkaban, Voldemort- why do you still flinch? Voldemort filled the role of his father. He told Draco what to do, where to be, what to think. Now he finally is allowed to make all those decisions on his own and he is showing, little by little, his true self." Ginny still looked skeptical, but she didn't pose another argument. "Now Ginny, I need to do me a favor as a friend. Even if you hate me now, I'm asking as someone who was once a friend." Ginny nodded slowly to show she understood. "I want you to keep Draco and I a secret for now," she looked like she wanted to argue but Harry pressed on, "We aren't going to stay a secret forever. We just want to let people know ourselves when we're ready." Ginny looked thoughtful for a minute and then slowly nodded.

"I do still think of you as a friend Harry," she said, "that's why I'm worried about you."

"Thanks Ginny," Harry said, hugging her one last time, "I'll see you at breakfast ok?" Ginny nodded and headed out. Tanya poked her head in the room and raised an eyebrow at him. "It's ok," Harry told her, "she can leave." Tanya nodded again and retreated back into the lounge. Harry sighed and then chuckled at the strangeness of it all before heading for the bathroom. He had half expected to find Draco listening at the door, but the blonde Slytherin was already floating in the pool sized tub.

"It's at least as large as the prefect's bath," Draco said happily when he noticed Harry, "C'mon in. I promise the water is nice," the blonde said with a seductive grin on his face that was ruined by the bubbles sitting on his head. Harry chuckled as he undressed. He set his watch alarm to go off at seven and jumped in, ready to enjoy a nice long bath with his favorite dragon.

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Hermione checked her watch when she reached the end of the chapter she had been reading. It had been an hour and a half since Ginny had left and neither Harry nor Draco had emerged from the bedroom yet. Tanya had gone off about an hour before, leaving Hermione to wait for the boys. She was becoming a little exasperated and was about to check and see if the boys had gone back to sleep when they came into the lounge. She took in their happy expressions and Harry's damp hair that was lying tamely on his head for once, and decided that she didn't want to know how they had spent the last hour and a half.

"If you'd only let me comb it…" Draco was saying with a grin as they walked towards Hermione.

"We've been over this already, and you've already broken three combs trying to get it to do what you want," Harry said, playfully batting at Draco's fingers as the blonde tried to arrange Harry's hair.

"Hey Hermione, hold him down for me," the Slytherin said with an evil grin.

"Oh no," Hermione responded, marking her place and putting the book she had been reading on the table, "I'm not getting involved in this particular argument. If you want to duke it out with that tangle of hair it's your business." She was grinning the entire time. "But you do look good with it lying flat Harry," she added.

"Thanks, I think," said Harry ducking away from Draco again. Draco just smirked and closed his eyes. Harry felt his hair begin to move on its own and realized what Draco was up to. "Hey, that's no fair!" Harry said laughing as his hair began to rearrange itself. Harry closed his own eyes and concentrated. There was suddenly a blast of hot air that succeeded in drying all of his hair and it immediately shot off in every direction again.

"Oh you're no fun." Draco said sticking his tongue out at his boyfriend. Harry surprised him by catching his tongue in his mouth and kissing him soundly. While Draco was still lost in the kiss, Harry brought his own hands up and mussed up the blondes carefully combed hair. "Hey," Draco said and then couldn't help but laughing as he saw himself in the mirror over the fireplace. "Well, dear," he said glaring at Harry, "while this is amusing, there's no way I'm going out into public like this." He flicked his wand and his hair resumed its normal slicked back look.

"If you two are done fooling around," Hermione said, chuckling, "We can go to breakfast." They nodded complacently and followed her out of the room. As they walked down the hallway towards the stairs, the statue that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office sprang aside and the headmaster stepped out in front of them.

"Ah, heading to breakfast I see," the headmaster said, smiling down at the three students.

"Yes sir," Harry said, smiling back.

"Well, seeing as how you are now my neighbors up here," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "I suppose I should show you the easy way to get from the entrance hall up here. It's quite a long walk you know, and, able as I am, seven floors is a bit much for these old bones to walk every day." He had led them to what appeared to be a broom closet near the top of the stairs. "In here please," he said, motioning them inside. "Now listen carefully," the headmaster cleared his throat, and then spoke directly to a mop in the corner. "I apologize to Craggy Snargvort." The room shuddered and then a ding sounded in the back. Dumbledore opened the door, and they found themselves emerging from the broom closet in the entrance hall.

"That's a neat trick," Draco said dryly.

"The same thing will work to get you back up," said Dumbledore, "just remember it's the mop in the back corner that you have to speak to."

"Professor," asked Hermione, "who was Craggy Snargvort?" Dumbledore considered this for a moment.

"I don't rightly know Miss Granger," he said looking amused, "I imagine he was the caretaker here at some point…" he trailed off in his musings as he entered the Great Hall. Harry just shook his head at the headmaster's back.

"He probably fell into the closet and got lost for a month or something," Draco quipped as the three headed for the Gryffindor table. Harry and Hermione laughed at this as they sat down. Draco glanced around the hall and noticed that there weren't many students awake yet. "What time is it anyway?" he asked, yawning.

"A little bit after seven," Hermione said glancing at her watch. Draco groaned and reached for the coffee pot.

"You realize I usually get up at this time?" he asked irritably.

"Well, there wasn't really any problem getting up early today was there?" Harry asked innocently. Draco blushed and Hermione just shook her head.

"I don't want to know," she said, pouring coffee for herself.

"Don't want to know what?" Ron asked sitting down next to Hermione.

"Oh, nothing dear," Hermione said sweetly, pouring coffee for him. Ron gave her a skeptical look but didn't press her. Harry looked around the hall as people started to make there way in. The staff table still looked crowded with the addition of the seven seats for the Guardians, but Harry noticed that the apprentices were nowhere to be seen.

The four students talked pleasantly for a half hour while sipping their coffee. By seven thirty the rest of the students began to file in and take their places at the tables. When the majority of the students had taken their places, breakfast appeared on the table and everyone began to eagerly serve themselves.

"Sleep well Harry?" someone asked him as they sat down next to him. Harry looked to his left to see who it was and was surprised to find Tanya reaching for the orange juice.

"Yeah pretty well," he replied, "why aren't you serving Professor Isil?" He asked as Tanya helped herself to an almost obscene amount of eggs.

"Well," Tanya said as she began to eat, "Dumbledore asked us not to, as you guys don't stand on ceremony all the time. So for regular meals we're to eat with the students." she held up a hand as she swallowed and took a drink.

"So we decided to sit with you guys," Menon finished for her from across the table. He too had served himself liberally and was now eating with great gusto. "You sure you two are ok?" he asked Harry and Draco.

"Yeah," said Draco, "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well this is the second time you've woken up this morning," Menon said with a grin. It took a minute for the contents of this remark to penetrate the minds of the students. Just as their faces registered their surprise, a series of screeching from the vicinity of the ceiling forestalled any questions they might have asked. Tanya and Menon glanced up idly as the owls swooped over the tables. "So that's why we had to send it like that," Menon quipped as he watched the owls circle around the hall until they spotted their owners. Harry was about to ask what it was they had sent when his eye was caught by two groups of owls.

There were three owls in each cluster and they seemed to be carrying a long thin package between them. Both groups of owls veered unhesitatingly towards the Gryffindor table and, Harry realized, his part of the table. As the owls swooped lower, Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione quickly cleared a space for them. The owls didn't even land, but just dropped both packages with resounding thunks on the table and swooped back up and out of the hall.

The rest of the Gryffindors were now gathering around Harry and Draco to see what it was that had been sent. Harry opened his package first. A series of gasps went around the circle as the people in front saw what Harry had received. The gasps were followed by whispers as the people in back asked what it was. Harry himself recognized the object very well. It was the sword that he had pulled out of the sorting hat during his second year, only now it had a beautifully crafted scabbard to go with it. He glanced over as Draco opened his own parcel.

Draco gasped as he withdrew his own sword from its wrapping. He could tell immediately that it was a katana style blade, but nothing else in its crafting was familiar. The sheath was dark green wood inlaid with a metal that looked like silver, but seemed to glow on its own. The inlay itself was spectacular, depicting images of dragons and waves. There was no hilt on the sword, and it could easily be mistaken as a walking stick, as the inlay continued from the sheath to the handle without interruption. Draco gripped the handle firmly and began to draw the sword, when a hand shot out and gripped the seam between sword and sheath.

"Your first lesson boys," Tanya said from Draco's side, "Is that you never draw your blade in public, unless you fully intend to use it." Draco nodded, taking his hand off the handle. _When did she move?_ Draco thought. He could have sworn Tanya had been sitting on the other side of Harry. The bell to start first period rang, and the students began to make there way out of the hall. Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione waited for everyone else to clear out, admiring the two swords.

"Oi you three," Hagrid called out happily as he made his way down from the staff table. Isil was following him and was grinning at the larger man's manner. "Yeh'll never guess what Professor Thalionore just gave me." Hagrid was almost dancing with excitement and nearly squashed a couple of first years that were hurrying out of the hall.

"What?" the three Gryffindors chorused, grinning themselves. Hagrid's enthusiasm was infectious.

"Look at this," Hagrid said, leaning down and putting a small pot on the table. He took the lid off and gently brushed some sand aside revealing an egg that was about the size of Harry's fist.

"Oh not again," groaned Ron. Hermione was just starring at the egg, and Draco was peering at it curiously.

"Whaddya mean 'not again'," Hagrid asked, still grinning, "I reckon he'll be better behaved than Norbert was."

"Professor," Hermione said, looking up at Isil, "You know that owning a dragon is illegal in England?"

"That's a dragon's egg?" Draco asked, looking closer, "It looks so small though." Isil chuckled as he reached up and stroked Vin's neck.

"If Vin here is full size," he said, "the egg doesn't need to be that big, does it?" Draco nodded thoughtfully and went back to examining the egg. "As to dragon's being illegal, I believe that applies only to the thirteen breeds of dragons listed at the ministry of magic," Isil continued, now speaking to Hermione, "And I assure you that the dragon egg in question is not from one of those breeds." Hermione didn't look too reassured by this, but she was distracted as Hagrid began to describe what had to be done when the egg was hatched. Isil slipped over behind Harry while everyone else was distracted. "Hold your hand behind your back Harry," Isil whispered so that only Harry could hear. Harry did as he was told and felt a warm object placed in his hand. He grinned as he glanced at the small pot, before slipping it in his pocket.

"Well, must be off," said Hagrid, covering the egg with sand again before putting the top back on the pot, "Lesson to teach." He strode off through the doors whistling to himself.

"Shoot," Hermione said snatching up her bag, "We're going to be late." She was frantic now, and rushed out of the hall with only a wave over her shoulder. Ron sighed and started to follow her.

"Take this," Isil said holding out a slip of parchment with an excuse on it. Ron nodded his thanks and hurried off after Hermione. "Speaking of lessons," he went on glancing at Harry and Draco, "We'll walk today while we practice." With that, he led them out of the hall and onto the grounds.

They spent the first period reviewing what they had learned the previous two days. As there were no torches or candles on the grounds, Isil gave Harry a lighter to practice with. Isil complimented them on their control and creativity while manipulating the elements. They were across the lake from their starting tree when the distant sound of the bell signaled the mid-morning break.

"I'll meet you back here at the start of second period," Isil said and strode off into the trees. Harry sat down and Draco, after making sure no one was around, sat in his lap.

"Hey, Draco?" Harry said after a minute or two.

"Yes love?" Draco responded sweetly. He could tell Harry was nervous about something and wanted to make his raven-haired Gryffindor comfortable enough to talk about it.

"I… well that is…." Harry stammered. Draco just waited for him to speak and Harry eventually got it out. "I wanted to… that is… to make up for the past six years… and well… I thought… hopefully you'll… umm… well… here… I love you Draco." Draco would have burst out laughing at what Harry had just said if it hadn't been for the small familiar looking pot that Harry was now holding in front of him. Draco reached out with trembling hands and took the pot from Harry. He opened it, brushed some of the sand aside and gasped when he saw the top of an egg. He could feel how tense Harry was behind him, and he gently put the pot down out of the way before he spun around and knocked his boyfriend flat on his back with his enthusiastic thanks. When their mouths finally parted, Draco spoke first.

"No one's ever given me such a wonderful gift Harry," he said, hugging the slightly abashed Gryffindor tightly.

"I'm glad you like it Draco," Harry said, hugging the blonde back. "When you said you wished you still had an owl two days ago, err… yesterday I mean, I went straight to Professor Isil and asked if I could have a dragon's egg for you. I thought I would have to argue with him but he seemed thrilled with the idea and gave me that this morning in the dining hall." Draco began grinning again as Harry offered this hurried explanation.

"Do I still make you that nervous Potter?" he asked teasingly. Harry blushed.

"Sometimes, Malfoy," he replied looking away. He was slightly annoyed that Draco could make him feel so insecure, but he knew it was only because he wanted the Slytherin to be happy.

"We should work on it then," Draco said slyly, drawing Harry to him, "Practice makes perfect after all…" he trailed off as they lost themselves once more in their passion. They didn't separate again until Isil's light coughing informed them that it was time for second period. They split apart rather reluctantly but didn't move far. Draco stayed in Harry's lap, and Isil sat down in front of the two of them. Draco reclaimed his egg pot and cradled it lovingly in his lap.

"This period we'll begin to explore the more subtle aspects of your abilities. For instance what is one property of fire Harry?" Isil was whittling as he spoke and Harry had to think a bit before he could answer.

"Well it makes things hot enough to burn," he said after a moment. Isil nodded.

"You extended that answer a bit longer than necessary," he said, looking out over the lake, "but you had the right answer. It makes things hot. Thus one of the properties of fire is heat. Since you control fire you can manipulate heat as well. If you recall, I mentioned before that you would eventually be able to produce your elements without a source. The basis of that lies in this principle. By heating the air enough, you can generate a spark. From that single spark, you can induce a flame and thus appear to have conjured the flame from nothing. By the same principle, Draco can cool the air and condense the moisture out of it, appearing to create water. With practice you can do this almost instantly, making it appear as if your element is sprouting from your hand." Isil looked at the two boys and found them staring intensely at him. "Do you understand?" he asked. The boys nodded thoughtfully. "Then lets try it."

As it turned out, they didn't understand. Despite various methods of concentration and focusing, neither Harry nor Draco had managed to produce their element. They had just managed to heat up and cool down the air noticeably when the bell rang for lunch.

"That was a good start boys," Isil said as he stood up. "I'll see you at our starting mark after lunch for running." Harry and Draco nodded and ran off to the castle for lunch.

Tanya and Menon were nowhere to be seen during lunch. Ron and Hermione once again questioned the two of them on their morning's activities and they took turns trying to explain it. The result was that by the time lunch was over, both boys were feeling more than a little frustrated. Hermione and Ron left for their afternoon classes, Hermione reminding the two of them that she was coming to their room to do homework after dinner. As everyone filed out of the hall for their afternoon class, Harry and Draco headed for the tree by the lake. Isil was already there, and both boys were quick about changing. Though they still didn't manage to finish the hour long run, Isil commented that their speed was improving. With yet more praise, to buoy their spirits, they almost forgot about the mountain of homework that would be waiting for them.

Hermione did not let them forget though. After dinner, she took both Harry and Draco by the elbow and led them into the broom closet forcefully. Ron followed, looking slightly mystified as to why they were going to the closet, rather than heading for the stairs.

"What are we doing in here?" he asked as Harry stepped on his foot trying to get to the back.

"You'll see," Harry said, finally finding the mop in the back. "I apologize to Craggy Snargvort."

"Who?" Ron asked.

"We don't know," Hermione said, now reaching for the door.

"So we just came in here to apologize to some guy, and now we have to walk…" Ron trailed off as he stepped out of the broom closet and saw that they were now in the seventh floor corridor. Hermione explained the trick to him as they made their way into Harry and Draco's room. Once inside, she took her wand and put it in her mouth. Then she took Harry and Draco's hands in hers, and gave a little flick of the wand while thinking the spell. Five minutes later, Harry was once more rubbing his forehead and staring at a mound of homework. There was much grumbling and complaining, but the four of them managed to finish the homework with a few hours to spare.

"I'm hungry," Ron said when they had finished.

"We'll go down to the kitchens," Harry said quickly, pulling Draco by the arm. Hermione looked rebellious at this. "We won't make him carry it up here," Harry said quickly as he pulled Draco out into the hall.

"Why do we have to get food?" Draco whined as they made their way to the broom cupboard.

"Because," Harry said as they stepped inside, "it gives me an excuse to do this." He had turned around and now captured Draco's lips with his own.

"Aren't you the devious one," Draco breathed when they broke apart. "I apologize to Craggy Snargvort," he said over Harry's shoulder. Harry cracked the door open to make sure no one was coming while Draco straightened disheveled clothing. Harry led the way down to the kitchen and stepped inside. Draco had only a brief glimpse of the kitchen before a pot hit him on the shoulder.

"Dobby knows you, yes!" a little house elf screamed at him, "Dobby knows you. You is that rotten Malfoy boy. Out! Out of Dobby's kitchen." Another pot started to sail through the air towards him, when he felt Harry wrap him into a hug.

"Dobby no!" Harry shouted, causing the entire kitchen to cease its activities. Harry looked over his shoulder at the house elf as the pot clanged to the floor in mid arc.

"Master Harry," Dobby squealed, now fidgeting from foot to foot. "You must come away from that bad boy Master Harry. He is the son of those evil wizards Dobby has warned you about."

"He is not," Harry said affirmatively, "you are mistaken Dobby." He caught the house elf's eyes and held them till Dobby nodded slowly. "He is Draco Slytherin, Dobby. He's my boyfriend." Great tears appeared in Dobby's eyes, and he started to reach for the pot again, no doubt to hit himself for harming someone Harry cared about. "You don't have to punish yourself," Harry said, releasing Draco and grabbing the pot before Dobby could get his hands on it. Dobby nodded slowly and then looked up at Draco.

"Dobby apologizes to Master Draco," the house elf said bowing so low that his nose touched the floor, "Dobby had heard that the true heir of Slytherin had returned. Dobby should have asked first." Draco was too stunned at the sudden change in the house elf that he didn't respond. "Now then, what can Dobby do for Master Harry?"

"We need some snacks," Harry said with a grin as the house elf's face lit up.

"Dobby will bring them up himself sir," he said, "and Dobby won't let you tell him otherwise. Dobby will get Kreacher to help. It is Kreacher's duty to serve Master Harry." With that he began to shoo the two boys out of the kitchen. "It will be ready in twenty minutes," he said as he pushed them back into the hall.

"Meet us in front of Dumbledore's office," Harry called after the elf as the door swung shut.

"Well now what?" asked Draco.

"Now," Harry said. They had reached the entrance hall and Harry was holding the door open for the broom closet. "Now we go in here…"

"And?" Draco asked as Harry shut the door. He didn't say anything else, as Harry was showing him exactly what they were going to do. He gasped as the Gryffindor's hands dealt quickly with the buttons on Draco's shirt. Draco's hands seemed to move of their own will, and he found himself taking off Harry's shirt too. He encircled the taller boy with his arms and pulled him close, relishing the feel of Harry's hands sliding down his body. He pushed forward, clearly indicating his intent to his more than willing partner. Harry's back hit the wall as he felt Draco's bare chest press against his own. The two of them slid down to the floor and lost themselves in passion. After spending fifteen minutes entwined in various positions on the floor, they regretfully pulled apart and cleaned up. They managed to sort out whose clothes were whose and get back upstairs with a minute to spare. Both boys were still very amorous and were hard pressed to contain themselves as they waited for Dobby.

"We really should tell Ron," Draco said suddenly, surprising Harry.

"You'd be ok with that?" he asked looking at Draco closely to make sure the other boy was serious.

"It'd be better," Draco assured him, "At least then we wouldn't have to pretend when we're in our own room." Harry nodded at that and kissed Draco quickly to show his thanks.

The house elf appeared a moment later and Harry led the way to their room. When they walked in though, they found that Ron and Hermione were snogging on the couch. Draco looked away to hide the enormous grin that had spread over his face and Harry, who had had this experience before, coughed politely to let his two friends know they had been caught. Hermione bolted upright when she heard the cough and straightened her robes quickly. It was hard to tell who was more embarrassed. Hermione was a bright pink and Ron had turned his customary beat red.

"I thought you weren't going to make him carry the tray." Hermione asked accusingly when she noticed Dobby.

"I wasn't going to," Harry said defensively, "he insisted."

"Yes Madame I did," Dobby said formally, unceremoniously elbowing Harry out of the way as he pushed the cart he had brought into the center of the room. "Everything you need Dobby has provided," the house elf said proudly, tapping the top of the cart. The entire contraption folded out into a low table covered in snacks. It even had a cooler underneath with butterbeers inside. "Enjoy," the house elf said and he disappeared with a crack.

Harry waved his wand and the couch that Hermione and Ron were sitting on floated over to the small table. Another couch followed it on the other side. Harry lay down on the empty sofa and Draco, without hesitation, lay down next to him and pulled one of Harry's arms over his stomach. _So much for trying to tell him gradually_, Harry thought with a grin. He looked up to see Ron's expression at their position.

He didn't have long to wait. Ron straightened up with a butterbeer in hand and dropped it when he saw Harry and Draco on the couch together. Draco was quick though. He caught the bottle by controlling the water droplets on its side and floated it over to Hermione who took it. Ron was still staring at the two of them.

"Uhhhh…." was all he said.

"Is something wrong Ron?" Harry asked as he took the butterbeer that was now hovering in front of him. Ron seemed to shake himself before responding.

"Everything all right Harry?" he asked tentatively, sounding nervous.

"Everything's fine here," Harry assured him, kissing the top of Draco's head to make sure Ron got the full point, "Any problems with you, love?" he asked Draco. Draco's response was a clink of his bottle against Harry's before taking a drink.

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Heh and I thought the last chapter was something at nine pages. Apparently my muse likes making them this long so I hope you enjoy. Ciao.


	18. Chapter 17

Alright on to the action scenes! Or at least something resembling them lol. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter. The next one is shaping up nicely too. Enjoy and keep reviewing.

**Jujube15 – **Yes it is most definitely not what he expected. For now, there is no explain everything to Ron scene, however, I may write one as a flashback later. Enjoy oh faithful one.

**DestinyEntwinements** – Why break the news slowly lol. Draco still doesn't like him, he just wants to kiss Harry in front of him, that's all XD

**Draeconin –** Good because the chapters definitely aren't shrinking. Keep enjoying and thx for reviewing.

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**Chapter 17**

The next morning, Hermione informed them that she had had to explain the whole situation to a fuming Ron after the two of them had left the previous night. This seemed to amuse Draco, but the boys' good moods lasted only until after lunch.

Harry and Draco waited in the great hall after everyone else had left for some message telling them where to go. After all, it was Thursday and they didn't have running today. Just as they were starting to become nervous that they might have missed an instruction somewhere, Vin appeared in front of them and dropped a message in Draco's hand before taking off again.

"I'm supposed to go outside," Draco said, his voice sounding tight, "and you're supposed to wait here." He looked up at Harry, the worry plainly showing in his eyes.

"It'll be alright," Harry said, reassuring his boyfriend with a quick kiss, "it's only training after all." Draco nodded and, with one final kiss, headed out of the hall.

When Draco had left, Harry checked the rest of the hall to make sure no one else was there before drawing his sword to admire it. The weapon was almost exactly as Harry remembered it from the last time he had held it. The blade was newly polished and the hall seemed to darken around it. The engravings were clearly visible, displaying the name of Gryffindor in the fading light. Harry peered closer and noticed a set of runes that he had not noticed the last time he had held the sword. It seemed much lighter than he remembered too, but he put that down to his having been five years younger last time.

Harry was starting to wonder why the hall was so dark all of a sudden, when he caught sight of a rock flying towards him. He instinctively held the sword up to block it. The rock however, rather than being deflected, was sliced in two and both halves smacked into Harry's chest.

"A very keen blade isn't it?" Menon's voice floated out of the darkness that had enveloped the rest of the hall. Harry peered into the gloom, trying to locate the other, but Menon's voice seemed to come from all sides at once. "If you would put your sword away," Menon continued, "you won't need it for the first part of your training."

"Why's that?" asked Harry, still trying to find his invisible assailant, "You're not going to throw any more rocks at me?" Menon's response was a warm laugh that echoed through the hall.

"That is exactly what I intend to do," he said. Harry gripped the sword tighter and held it up at the ready in front of him. "However, before you learn to use the weapon you hold, you must learn to move." Menon's voice came from right behind Harry as he said the last part, and Harry whirled around to face him, only to have the sword knocked from his hand. "Now then," his teacher said, sounding pleased with himself, "We'll start with one rock. When you can successfully dodge that to my satisfaction we'll move on to two. When we reach five rocks, I will begin to increase the speed. Understood?" Not having much of a choice Harry nodded.

The hall was completely covered in darkness now and Harry could barely see a meter in any direction. _How in the world am I supposed to dodge them if I can't see them,_ he thought. Just as this thought crossed his mind, a rock flew out of the darkness and caught him on the thigh. He whirled and another rock hit him in the small of the back. Harry got hit three more times before he shut his eyes in frustration. It was then he noticed that he could still see in a sense. The many candles and torches in the hall were still lit, even though their light was blocked. With his eyes closed, Harry found that he could see the areas surrounding these points of fire.

_Maybe it's not the light I'm seeing,_ thought Harry still with his eyes closed, _maybe it's the heat the flames are putting off._ He nearly opened his eyes at this realization, but a dark shape moving towards him through the heat waves caught his attention. He grinned as he sidestepped the path of the projectile, only to have it clip him on the shoulder. _Of course,_ he thought, rubbing his shoulder, _just because I can see them, doesn't mean I can dodge them._ In the next few minutes, Harry successfully dodged one rock, but he failed miserably at two. After fifteen minutes had gone by, Harry sensed Menon approaching him and opened his eyes. Whatever the apprentice had been doing to douse the lights had been undone, and Harry blinked in the sudden sunlight streaming in through the windows.

"That was excellent for your first try Harry," Menon said looking pleased, "But we have one more thing to test today before I can figure out what your base standards are." He pointed at one of the tables that had been pushed against the wall. "Please put everything you have with you, including your robe, on that table."

"Everything?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yes, everything," Menon replied as he started to push the tables towards the walls. "The only thing you should be wearing is your clothing. No shoes, no glasses, no anything." Harry nodded, still confused. He went over to the table and did as he was told. Menon pushed the rest of the house tables to the side and waited for Harry to come back.

"All right," Menon said when Harry was ready, "I'm going to test your awakened form now, so we know where we're starting with that." This statement drew a blank look from Harry and Menon smiled. "I'm going to light you on fire."

"What?" Harry nearly shouted, stepping backwards.

"You won't feel it," Menon assured him, "and it will wake your seal. You might want to close your eyes though, it might be unnerving." Harry swallowed as Menon approached him again, but kept his eyes open.

He looked down as Menon crouched and held a candle to the hem of Harry's pants. Harry's nervousness turned to an almost morbid curiosity as he watched the flames spread up his legs. He was amazed that he didn't feel any pain as he watched shreds of his pants fall away. It was then that he noticed that his feet were also on fire. He looked closer and saw that his previous observation was incorrect. His feet weren't merely on fire… they were fire. He watched stunned as his clothing burned off and revealed his changed body. He was still definitely shaped like a human, that was for sure, but his knees now bent backwards and his hands and feet no longer had fingers and toes. His digits had been replaced with claws. They still moved like his normal fingers and toes but they made scrabbling sounds on the stone under his feet. He put his hands to his face but everything felt normal there too.

"How does it feel?" Menon asked him. Harry looked up and noticed that the other boy was standing a good distance away from him and was still showing signs of feeling hot. He realized too, that he could see perfectly now, even though he did not have his glasses on.

"I don't feel any different," Harry said. He noticed that his voice sounded more like a roaring fire, and it echoed eerily throughout the hall.

"Let's try something then," Menon said picking up one of the rocks. "I'm going to throw this out the window," he said, pointing to the window near the ceiling that the owls used to enter the hall, "and I want you to go after it and catch it." Harry looked skeptical, but he nodded all the same. Menon drew back the rock and then, with a movement that was too fast to be seen, he sent the rock soaring out the window. With no other choice than to try, Harry crouched on all fours, and then jumped with all his might after the stone.

He was amazed at the power of his own body when his jump carried him clear out of the window. Before he had time to think about what would happen when his forward momentum stopped, he caught sight of the rock just peeking in its arc in front of him. The whole situation seemed rather bizarre to Harry. Maybe it was this feel of unreality, or maybe it was just his mind's way of copping, but he started treating the exercise as a quidditch game. The rock was just a very dull, and very sluggish, snitch. With this in mind, Harry did the same thing he would have done on his broomstick; he concentrated on catching the snitch.

Menon watched, amused, from the window as Harry stopped jumping and started flying. _Isil was right,_ he thought, _the boy is a natural flyer._ He watched as Harry easily caught the stone, and smiled as it melted in the boy's hand. He threw another stone, before whistling sharply. Harry turned in the air to look, and saw his new target go sailing in the other direction. Harry shot off, literally like a rocket. His mind was on automatic now, only, instead of controlling a broomstick, it was focusing the heat Harry was generating behind him, turning the boy into a jet engine.

"Alright Harry, we're going to try something a little different now," Menon called to him. Harry stopped in mid air and turned towards the apprentice. "I'm going to throw a rock from somewhere on the castle. Your job is to find that rock and catch it before it hits the ground or anything else." Harry thought for a moment and then realized that he could use the same technique he had used before. The rock would be a different temperature than the air and he could distinguish it that way. No sooner had he thought of this strategy than he noticed he could now see heat with his eyes open too.

Menon had disappeared from the roof, and Harry scanned the castle below him, looking for a small moving object that could be a stone. He saw it on the other side of the castle, falling towards the greenhouses. With barely a thought, Harry was shooting off towards the falling stone. He caught the rock about a meter above the green houses and whirled around immediately as he caught sight of the next stone in his peripheral vision. This exercise continued for another ten minutes, with Harry managing to catch every one. The closest call had been when Menon had thrown a rock at the transfiguration room's window. Harry had managed to catch it barely a foot away from the glass.

"That's enough," Menon called to him, gesturing for Harry to re-enter the dining hall. Harry regretfully headed inside. He had enjoyed the experience thoroughly, and was reluctant to put an end to it. "So," Menon said when Harry had landed, "how did it feel to fly?" It took Harry a second to process what Menon had said.

"It was the most amazing thing in the world!" he said enthusiastically. "Not even riding a dragon can compare to this." Menon laughed at Harry's excitement. The boy was bouncing from foot to foot, obviously itching to get off the ground.

"Well," Menon said as he headed for the hall doors, "you can reflect on what you learned today while you cool off." Harry gave him a blank look. "It will probably take the rest of the period for that form to fade," Menon explained, "You'll need to sit absolutely still and calm your mind. A review of the day's lessons should help the process." Harry nodded as Menon stepped out and closed the door behind him.

At first, Harry tried just sitting down, but with his knees bending the opposite direction than he was used to, he couldn't manage it. He ended up lying down much like a cat, with his feet underneath him and his head on his arms. Harry tried to do as he was told, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Draco. Eventually he was able to review his lessons by imagining what he would tell Draco when he saw him again.

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Draco grew increasingly more nervous as he approached the doors to the grounds. He couldn't explain it, even to himself, but he was sure that this combat training was not going to be a pleasant experience. Just as he reached the doors his head jerked to the left, seemingly of it's own will, and something made a thunking noise as it stuck in the door jam. Draco peered at the object and felt the bottom drop out of his stomach when he saw that it was some kind of throwing knife.

The Slytherin whirled around and reached for his sword, but even as he touched the handle, Tanya appeared in front of him and he felt something hard press against his stomach as her hand landed on top of his sword handle.

"You're a bit slow on the uptake," Tanya said poking him with the object she now had pressed against his ribs. Draco looked down and saw that it was the sheath of her sword that was jabbing him so insistently. "Yes, that's right," Tanya said watching as Draco's expression went ashen, "If I had been serious you would already be dead." She let go of him and began walking towards the grounds. Draco hesitated, not sure if following her was such a good idea or not.

"I will not attack you by surprise again today," Tanya said without looking back, "Come, we have much testing to do." Draco nervously followed the girl down towards the lake. She chose a flat area near the greenhouses and turned again to face him. "You'll want to change into something you won't mind getting blood on," she said calmly as she shrugged out of the robe she wore around the castle. Draco swallowed again before beginning to undress. He wasn't sure which he feared more right now; the training, or disobeying Tanya's instructions. When he was down to just his pants, he transfigured them into a pair of loose fitting linen shorts.

"Now then," Tanya said, "I will be throwing kunai at you. We will start at a slow speed," and at this she threw one of her knives at Draco's feet. Draco had barely seen the knife fly towards him; she had thrown it so fast. "And we will work up to a high speed." This time Draco didn't even see Tanya's hand move, a second knife just appeared next to the first. "Your goal, as you've no doubt guessed, is to dodge these." The two kunai at his feet pulled out of the ground and flew back to her hand. "We'll start with one."

No sooner had she spoken than Draco saw the kunai coming at him. He tried to dodge it, but the blade was too close already. He felt his stomach explode in pain as the blade sliced into his abdomen. He looked down as his blood started to well up around the knife. Tanya watched as he gripped the knife tightly and yanked it out. As soon as the blade was clear, the flesh healed cleanly, leaving no trace of a wound except for the blood dripping off of Draco's stomach. He tossed the bloody knife aside and looked back at his tormenter.

"Had you ever been stabbed before?" Tanya asked, waiting for Draco to straighten up. The blonde shook his head as he gradually regained his composure. "Well that's some more motivation for you then isn't it?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him. Draco just glared back and then signaled that he was ready to continue.

He watched closely this time, trying to see the kunai as it left her hand. He still caught the blade in the shoulder, but he had at least seen it coming this time. She kept at him for another fifteen minutes before calling a halt. Draco gratefully collapsed onto the grass, panting. He reached out to the lake for energy to refresh himself and stared up at the sky. He was covered in sweat and blood and wanted nothing more than to jump in the lake and wash it all away.

"We have one more thing to test," Tanya said, "and we must test it quickly or else you will not be in a fit state to attend dinner." Draco sighed and hauled himself up.

"What do you want me to do now?" he asked irritably, "Dodge arrows?" Tanya chuckled at this but shook her head.

"I need to test your guardian form," she said motioning towards the lake, "out there." Draco stared at the girl not quite getting her meaning. "You will expend energy by walking on the water," she said, "and that will cause your guardian form to awaken. It is this form that I need to test to find out exactly where you stand."

By this point Draco was too tired to argue, and gratefully put one foot in the lake. He waded in to his knees, watching his own blood flow away from him. Tanya coughed lightly and he looked up to find her standing on the lake's surface. Draco grumbled again but willed the water to lift him up. He followed Tanya out into the center of the lake and waited. He could sense the giant squid circling below, ready to catch him if he fell in. It seemed to Draco as he stood there, willing the water beneath his feet to support him, that his energy was coming back. He realized now that he felt better than he had all day.

"Look at yourself Draco," Tanya said laughing at him.

Draco looked and nearly fell over. Without his realizing it, his body had become transparent like the water he was standing on and the shorts had slipped off. The physical shape of his body seemed to have become more streamlined, as if someone had taken an iron to it and pressed out all the lines, but he felt new power surging through him. He looked up at Tanya who was now eyeing him expectantly.

"Have you finished examining yourself?" she asked him. Draco nodded and readied himself to dodge more knives. "Very well. This time I will not be throwing one knife, or even two," Draco saw kunai appear in her hands again, "I will be throwing forty-nine kunai at you. The exercise will cease when you are hit by a single kunai. Understood?" Tanya was now holding eight kunai at the ready. Draco nodded and swallowed hard. He hadn't even been able to dodge a single kunai, and now she was expecting him to dodge forty-nine in a row?

Draco didn't have time for further thought as Tanya began the exercise. He found that he could see her movements much clearer now, and, though he could tell she was throwing at the "fast" speed, the blades seemed to be taking their own sweet time in reaching him. He had plenty of time to position himself so that the first eight blades passed him harmlessly. The next volley had ten kunai in it, and Draco didn't even stop to think about how Tanya could throw ten kunai at once. He was enthralled with his new ability; reveling in the physical power it provided him. A jump and seemingly physically impossible twist move later, the ten kunai were behind him.

Draco knew as soon as he saw them that he wasn't going to escape the third wave of fifteen blades by fancy acrobatics. As the first blade approached him, he sidestepped it, and caught the handle in his mouth. Spinning around he flung out his hands and caught the next two that sailed by. At the same time he hopped into the air and caught two more kunai with his feet. In the instant before he hit the lake surface again, he flung all five kunai at the remaining blades in the wave. Ten clangs of metal were heard as all fifteen knives dropped into the lake.

The fourth throw had eighteen kunai spaced out at intervals. Draco twisted and jumped through the storm of blades. He lost count of how many he had dodged, caught, and deflected, and, as a result, caught the last two kunai in the shoulders. He felt the blades slide in, slicing through his muscle, grating, as their courses were deflected by his collarbone. The force of the impact sent Draco flying backwards. He skipped like a stone on the lake, coming to rest in the shallows near where he had been training earlier. He thought he saw something fiery flitting around near the castle as his vision faded to black.

Tanya walked calmly to wear Draco was floating in the shallow water. She motioned to his cloak on the bank, which obligingly spread itself out, and bent down and gently lifted the boy. She placed him on the cloak, noting that his form was already disappearing back behind his seal. She pulled the two kunai from his shoulders and touched each wound to heal it. _You weren't supposed to get hit on the last two,_ she thought, amused. _Those are the ones that are going the fastest. I guess with the training you did today, your guardian form can't take the abuse._ She wrapped the school robe around Draco to preserve his modesty before the guardian form receded any farther. She picked up her student and willed his possessions to neatly arrange themselves behind her, before heading up to the hospital wing.

"What's this then?" Madame Pomfrey asked as Tanya placed Draco on one of the beds. Pomfrey waved her wand and Draco was instantly dressed in hospital pajamas. "What happened dear?" she asked Tanya.

"He's just had a long day of training," Tanya responded, heading for the door, "Give him something to replace blood and he should be fine to go to dinner." Before Pomfrey could ask any questions as to why Draco would need replacement blood, Tanya was out the door. She headed straight for the dining hall but waited quietly in the corridor when she heard raised voices in the entry hall.

"…mean I can't go in?" That was McGonagall's voice.

"I'm sorry," Menon was saying, "but the Dining Hall is in use at this time."

"Nonsense!" McGonagall shouted. Tanya could tell that the woman was furious. Her normally severe hairstyle had come undone, and her hair was frizzled, as if it had been near a very strong heat source. "My wall was nearly melted away by the flame walker that just flew into the dining hall! Those creatures are extremely dangerous and we cannot allow on to be loose in the castle!"

"I assure you Professor," Menon said calmly, "that the flame walker you speak of is hardly dangerous. He is currently meditating in the hall. I assure you that he will be done before dinner." McGonagall looked murderous, and Tanya couldn't blame her if Harry had indeed melted through her wall.

"You can be sure that I will be speaking with Professor Thalionore about this," McGonagall said before storming back towards her class. Tanya walked into the hall and went over to her partner.

"Busy day?" she asked, kissing him lightly. He chuckled and shook his head, motioning towards the dining hall.

"Just trying to give Harry a chance to cool off," he replied, "How'd your session with Draco go?" Tanya smiled.

"Pretty good," she said, "He didn't manage to dodge a single kunai successfully." Menon stared at her as she grinned happily.

"You _started_ him on the kunai? And why are you so happy if he didn't dodge any?" Menon said. He was annoyed that Tanya had injured the boy. Not for his own sake, but because it was likely to affect Harry's progress.

"Yes I started him on the kunai," Tanya said putting a finger to her lover's lips to quiet him, "this way, he won't want to get hit, and he should progress faster." Menon didn't look convinced, but didn't argue with her. "Even though Draco didn't dodge a single knife normally, you should have seen him as a water walker," Tanya said this with a dreamy look in her eyes that Menon had only ever seen before while Tanya was talking about Isilomir.

"What did you do to him in that stage?" Menon asked cautiously, he almost didn't want to hear her answer.

"I used a slightly varied Ulmogurth on him," Tanya said proudly. Menon's mouth dropped open. The Ulmogurth, or Death's Rain, was a special technique that balance guardians could use. The guardian would stand in a single place and levitate forty-nine kunai around her. Each kunai could be considered to have a number assigned to it from one to forty-nine and the higher the number the faster the kunai would travel. The kunai would then be unpredictably propelled all at once at the opponent without the guardian ever having to touch them. "I threw the kunai in sequence in four waves," Tanya continued still with that dreamy look in her eye, "and Draco dodged all but the last two." Menon's face could no longer register any further surprise; it was his lack of speech that amused Tanya the most.

"He… he managed to dodge forty-seven kunai… from that technique…" Menon finally said. It wasn't a question but a statement. Harry had been nowhere near that fast during his training. It was incredible that Draco had that much skill with no prior training. "No wonder you're so happy then," he said grinning at Tanya. Tanya nodded sagely and smiled herself.

"Just wait till Master hears about it," she said, almost bouncing up and down, "he'll be thrilled!"

"Well you'll have to wait on that," Menon said, "Isil is out and about doing something. He'll be back after dinner."

"I can wait," Tanya said, giving Menon another kiss, "I'll just slip into the dining hall now. I need to tell Harry that Draco's in the hospital wing." She slipped from Menon's arms and slipped under the door before her mate could complain again about her treatment of the Slytherin.

Harry was in the middle of the hall, the stone floor around him showed signs of having been recently melted and beyond that, it was blackened. Harry himself was curled up in a very feline position in the middle of it all. The guardian form had nearly receded completely and Tanya knew he would be waking soon. She levitated his clothes over to him and then politely turned her back. She didn't have long to wait.

Harry sat up and stretched. He was back to normal now, and he felt very stiff between having laid on the cold stone for nearly an hour, and having been pelted with rocks before that. He put a hand down to stand up and go for his clothing, but his hand landed on his glasses. Wondering how they had gotten there, he put them on and looked around. He was shocked to see the state of the hall. The floor around him appeared to have been melted and the tables and benches along the walls were all blackened. _I put off that much heat?_ he thought to himself amazed. He saw his clothing was also lying next to him, and he quickly dressed.

"Are you finished dressing?" Tanya's voice startled him and he whirled around. The girl was standing near the hall door with her back turned.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Then you may want to head up to the hospital wing," Tanya said, turning around. "Draco is up there resting."

"Was he hurt?" Harry asked, running to the door.

"Just training as normal," was all Tanya said. Harry didn't bother to ask anything else as he sprinted up to the hospital wing. Draco was lying in one of the beds sleeping when he entered. Harry sighed gratefully when he saw that the blonde was unhurt. He quietly pulled a chair over and sat down, waiting for Draco to wake.

As he waited, Harry began to think about the two of them. They had only agreed to be friends a couple of days before, and already they were behaving so familiarly with each other. Harry blushed as he remembered how good it had felt to touch Draco and be touched by him the night before. At the same time, this worried him. He knew in his heart that Draco was perfect for him, but his mind was screaming at him to slow down. That first kiss they had shared two nights before had melted all of Harry's emotional doubts about their relationship. It felt natural, just like being able to control fire now felt.

As he thought more and more about it, Harry realized that all the barbed comments and insults of the last six years had been a way for Draco to continue interacting with Harry. He remembered that Isil had told them that the awakening of the seals had reduced their inhibitions about approaching one another again. He wondered how much of that had been the seals work, and how much of it had been the fact that they had finally found something they had in common.

Draco woke and sat up, interrupting Harry's thoughts. Harry promised that he'd talk to Draco about it soon. For now, he just leaned over and kissed Draco on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're ok," he whispered. Draco smiled at him and turned his head, giving Harry a quick kiss in return. "What happened anyway?" Harry asked as Pomfrey, who had seen Draco sit up, checked him over.

"I'll tell you later," Draco said. He sounded just as tired as Harry did. Madame Pomfrey eyed both boys critically.

"I want you both to get a good nights sleep tonight," she said, "I'll inform Miss Granger that she is not to keep you up past nine, regardless of whether you've finished your work or not." The two boys looked up at the nurse, gratitude written all over their faces. "Now off to dinner with you." She turned to go back to her office. "And mind you watch yourselves in the future. You two have been here twice already and it's only the first week…" her voice trailed off as she entered her office.

Harry helped Draco get dressed. Both boys were incredibly stiff and had to help each other down to the dining hall. There was still another half hour before dinner, but the great hall doors were open. They went in and found Tanya and Menon arguing with Filch.

"…unheard of in all my time here!" Filch was roaring at the two apprentices. "A flame walker in the castle. Just look at this place! The floor's half melted through and all the furniture is burned! PEEVES!"

The poltergeist could be seen holding a torch under the head table. He blew a raspberry and lifted the torch higher. Filch began to run towards the poltergeist but Tanya beat him there. Neither Draco nor Harry had seen the girl move, nor apparently had Peeves because she caught him by the throat. Peeves let out a little erp that was obviously intended to be a nasty comment. Tanya handed the torch to the stunned Filch before neatly tying Peeve's hands and feet together behind his back. Menon was obviously highly amused as Tanya dropkicked the poltergeist over the head's of Harry and Draco. His screaming gradually faded away as he bounced down towards the dungeons.

"Well I never…" Filch said. He was obviously very impressed and his voice was much kinder than before.

"As we were trying to tell you," Menon said moving over to the caretaker, "We'll be happy to clean up the mess for you." Filch nodded still stunned as Menon guided him out of the hall. As soon as he was gone, Tanya gestured the two boys to seats.

"You two look exhausted," she said kindly. Draco had tensed slightly as she approached Harry noticed but he seemed to have relaxed again. "Don't worry," Tanya continued, sitting down, "Today was probably the roughest training you'll ever have."

"Aren't you supposed to be cleaning?" Draco asked a little amused.

"Cleaning what?" asked Tanya, grinning and gesturing around the hall. The entire hall looked completely normal. There wasn't a blackened piece of furniture to be seen. "It's our secret, ok?" she said grinning.

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Well let me know what you think about the boys' alternate forms. Next chapter… PARTY! So w00t or something I guess. Anyway, till then, remember to press that little review button. Ciao.


	19. Chapter 18

OK kiddies you all need to thank the gods of disease because they've kept me locked in my dorm room for the past two days, and that's a big part of why you have a chapter. So let's hear it for more plot. Oh, and a feast. You can't skip the feast. Well anyway, happy reading and don't forget to press the little button that keeps the muse happy.

**Jujube15 – **YAY for repeat reviewers, that let's me know you guys keep up with me. Enjoy and don't forget to review.

**DestinyEntwinements** – Now this I was quite proud of. Harry can fly cause he can control heat. He just heats up the air behind or under him and uses the heat to lift himself up. The other way to think about it is that since his body is technically fire, he can will himself to rise up. Draco might fly… but only on very humid days lol. Thanks for the questions, and enjoy the chapter.

**Draeconin –** I agree that what they were feeling would make it more interesting. I'm not telling you any specifics, but just think of it as Harry and Draco, it being their first time and all, being about as concerned with what they were feeling as I was. It'll catch up eventually. Enjoy.

**Suteneko01 **– Well I'm glad you found this thing even if you weren't looking for it, and thank you for all the wonderful things you said. That alone kept me writing yesterday despite the utter lack of food and mobility. And w00t for translucent ninjas of watery doom! Enjoy this chapter too.

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**Chapter 18**

The knife was flying at Draco's face. The boy knew there was no possible way to dodge it. He knew it was over. His body wouldn't respond. Beyond his approaching death was the figure that had thrown the weapon. The black haired figure of Harry Potter was smiling at him; arm still extended from having thrown the knife. Behind him the form of Voldemort materialized and cackled, telling Draco that he should not have trusted the Gryffindor.

The blonde bolted awake, cold sweat pouring down his body. Harry's arm was around his waist and he was sitting up in bed. It had been a nightmare, the same one that had been haunting him for the last two weeks since he had started his training with Tanya. He knew it was stupid. He knew that Tanya would never let one of her kunai land a fatal blow. There had been several times during his training when, in the course of dodging, he had fatally opened himself to one of the daggers. Each time the blades had stopped abruptly and fell to the ground. He also knew that Harry would never, of his own will, do anything to hurt Draco.

This thought had surprised him the first time, as he had to admit he knew almost nothing about the famous Harry Potter. Over the last two weeks though, he had gained an understanding of Harry's feelings. The boy was still a little unsure of the sudden change in their relationship, but he was willing to try forgiving, and that was really all Draco could ask for.

As to Voldemort's appearance in the dreams, that was what made Draco worry. It was because of this that Draco hadn't told anyone about the nightmare. Part of Draco was still trying to make his father proud. He was still, on some level, trying to do what his father told him to, and he was afraid that if he spoke to anyone about it, he'd change back into the old Draco Malfoy, the unhappy Slytherin who lashed out at the one person he wanted to be friends with.

Draco gently moved Harry's arm and slipped out of the bed. He checked the egg pot as he had become accustomed to doing and moved to the door, picking up his sword on the way. As he stepped out onto the balcony, he couldn't help grinning at the memory of how they had ended up with that little addition to their room.

Two weeks before, Professor McGonagall had entered their common room with Professors Dumbledore and Isil, and had vehemently stated that she would not tolerate any more antics by Harry. Draco had been mystified at the time, until Dumbledore had calmly explained that Professor McGonagall was a bit annoyed with Harry for nearly melting through her wall during his first training session. Draco had burst out laughing, which had caused McGonagall to turn around and include him in her tirade. She had eventually been soothed by the promise that the entire castle would have a more effective flame resistant charm placed on it to avoid any further troubles. Isil had then suggested the addition of a balcony to the boys' room so as to allow them to land in a place where they wouldn't attract attention or unintentionally injure someone.

So Harry and Draco had obtained their own personal balcony off the bedroom. From it, they could look out over the lake and even see the town of Hogsmede beyond the castle wall. Draco leaned on the railing and let the warm night breeze dry the sweat on his face. He looked out over the lake and let his mind wander. His thoughts inevitably shifted to the dream, and he tried to shake it off. _It's stupid,_ he told himself. _Harry's not going to hurt me._ A sinister voice spoke then in the back of his mind, _but if you're so sure, why do you keep dreaming it?_

"Shut up!" Draco said aloud. He realized he had actually spoken and guiltily turned to see if he had woken Harry. The Gryffindor was still sleeping, the moonlight illuminating his bear chest. Draco sighed and grinned. Yes, he was in love. He knew that. The issue he and Harry had to work out now was why. Draco, for his part, knew that he had always admired Harry. He was the one person Draco had honestly wanted to be friends with, and it just so happened that Harry was also the one person Draco's father had insisted he despise above all others.

Draco sighed again, and drew his sword. The blade glinted in the light from the waning moon, revealing the watery pattern that seemed to flow along the sword. He remembered the first time, two weeks ago, when he had woken in the middle of the night. He had drawn the sword then with out thinking. That, of course, had brought Tanya down on him. She said at the time that if Draco was going to be up in the middle of the night, he might as well do something useful, so she had taught him three kattas to go through. He began those kattas now, his body moving on automatic as he let his mind drift, thinking back over the last six years.

It was not a pleasant experience, remembering those times, but he forced himself to examine them. The feeling of utter rejection when Harry had chosen Weasley over Draco had tormented the Slytherin for the first few weeks of the year. He had been snappish, listless, and downright mean to his housemates. If it hadn't been for the reputation of Malfoy, and the stout, if idiotic, support of Crabe and Goyle, Draco would have just faded into the background and never been given the time of day by anyone.

As it turned out, he became a rallying point for the Slytherins in their feud with the Gryffindors. They encouraged Draco to punish Harry for his rejection, and Draco all too willingly agreed. Thus, the apparent hatred of Harry by Draco came to symbolize the hatred of all Gryfindors by all Slytherins. The entire time though, Draco secretly regretted it. Every word he spoke that caused Harry to be angry, sad, or just plain annoyed, made Draco want to hit himself later. To be sure, at the time he said them, it was fun to see Harry's reaction. It made Draco happy to see any reaction, because that meant that Harry had noticed him. He still knew that Draco existed. Later though, when Draco was alone, the words would come back and haunt him. Sure, Harry had recognized him for a few seconds, but the cost of those few seconds was that the friendship he so desired was getting farther and farther away.

The tears started flowing, dropping onto the balcony floor as he moved through his exercises, the sword singing slightly in the night air. He recalled the one time that Harry had shot back with an insult of his own. He had responded many times before, but it was always telling Draco to go away or with a meaningless jibe. The one time he had insulted back, Draco had been hurt. It had been during their fourth year, and it had been about Draco's family. Familial insults had not been a new thing to Draco at the time. After all, they are almost a fad among fourteen year olds, but hearing Harry say it, and knowing that for once he was serious, had nearly broken Draco. His resulting withdrawal was, thankfully, attributed to his transfiguration into a ferret that had followed the incident.

Draco fought with himself to keep remembering, even as he started the kattas over. The first four years of school could be described as a beach trip when compared to his behavior the last two years. He had watched throughout their fifth year, as Harry had fallen in love, been tormented by Umbridge, and banned from quidditch. Draco had acted well that year. He hid his jealousy successfully when he heard about Cho. He hadn't admitted that it was love yet, even to himself, but hearing the rumor about the D.A. for the first time had made him realize that Harry did have friends outside of Gryffindor. This renewed his anger that he wasn't one of them. He had been almost glad when he learned of Harry's detentions with Umbridge. It had seemed a fitting punishment at the time for continuing to be an enemy of Draco. Several times that year though, Draco had found his right hand aching in sympathy whenever he caught sight of the scab on Harry's hand.

Draco paused in his movements and glanced over his shoulder again at his sleeping boyfriend. Yes even in the moonlight, he could make out the light scar that Harry still carried from those detentions. The entirety of Slytherin house had rejoiced when Harry and George had been banned from quidditch. Draco had joined in as was expected of him. He did relish the chance that Slytherin might actually win a quidditch cup for once. The next day however, he nearly lost his composure when he saw the depressed look on Harry's face. Again, the thing that saved his reputation pushed Harry even further away. The Gryffindor didn't even respond to the taunts at that point. The Slytherins had ended up eating their words though, when the remaining Weaslys managed to pull a win out of the final match of the year.

Despite what should have been a happy time for Harry and his friends, Draco watched from afar as the boy who lived spent the last weeks of the semester in a deeper depression than he had been before. At first, Draco didn't understand and was furious. What did Harry have to be depressed about? His house had won the quidditch cup, Umbridge had been driven out, Dumbledore reinstated, Gryffindor was in line to win the house championship again, and Slytherin House had once more been disgraced. It wasn't until Draco returned home for the summer that he learned why.

Draco had long suspected that Harry had another wizard besides Dumbledore looking after him. After all, he had received a Firebolt in his third year, and Draco had heard they had stripped it down for hexes before letting Harry have it. They wouldn't have done that if the faculty had bought it like they had Harry's old Nimbus. That and Harry's mood had drastically changed after his third year. He seemed much better off when he arrived on the train for start of term, and much less annoyed about returning home at the end of the year, not to mention the big black dog that kept showing up at odd times around him.

That summer, after fifth year, Draco had learned the whole story. His mother told him how Harry's godfather had died the same night that Draco's father was arrested at the ministry. Draco had been surprised to learn Harry had a godfather, but managed to contain his true feelings about Sirius Black's death until he was out of hearing of his mother. True, he had thought of Black as an escaped murderer just like everyone else, but now Harry's mood made sense. Black must have been the closest thing Harry ever had to what Draco considered a father was supposed to be. Caring, funny, and maybe a little rebellious, but someone who was there if you had a problem. To find that figure after thirteen years only to lose him again was something that Draco couldn't fathom. His heart had gone out to the Gryffindor, but being the stubborn person he was, he refused to offer sympathy until Harry asked him for it.

With only one year left to recall, Draco's resolve was quickly fading. For the past two weeks during these nighttime recollections, he hadn't managed to make it to the sixth year. He was finally at this point and found himself dreading it. The sixth year had been the worst, but he pushed himself to remember it anyway, forcing his body to move through the kattas as he did so. It had started off badly on the train. Harry had been more suspicious than usual and had snuck into the Slytherin's compartment towards the end of the train ride. Draco had caught him at it, and knowing that Voldemort was probably spying on him with something, obediently tormented the boy. He broke Harry's nose and left him immobilized on the floor of the compartment, hoping that the train would carry him back to London so that he wouldn't be hurt again that year.

When he saw that Harry had been rescued, he had immediately set out to avoid him. In fact he spent most of the year avoiding people. He didn't want Voldemort to use anyone else to keep him in line. Draco's health suffered, and Snape didn't help matters by talking to Draco so often as to be suspicious. Harry didn't miss these little talks, and Draco knew from the disguised Goyle, that Harry had been obsessing over the Slytherin. Draco had been flattered by the news, but had still refused to talk to Harry. He knew that if the Dark Lord found out he was being chummy with Harry Potter; his mother's life was forfeit. So when Harry finally caught up with him while he was confiding in Moaning Myrtle, he lost it. That had ended badly, with Draco not only nearly being killed, but also Harry had suffered detentions with Snape. Draco could forgive the slashing spell, because Harry had obviously had no idea what it would do. He couldn't forgive Snape though for tormenting Harry over such a minor misunderstanding. He hadn't understood why the former Potions master had been so adamant about Draco nearly being killed. To make everyone happy, Draco had played the outraged victim, and alienated Harry even further.

Draco was on his knees now, the katana lying forgotten next to him, sobbing louder and louder, but he couldn't stop himself remembering now. He had come to the worst of the worst, and he pressed on, knowing he would feel better afterwards. That night, when Voldemort had told him Dumbledore had left for a while; Draco put the Dark Lord's plan in motion. With his mother's life on the line, Draco had led the Death Eaters through the vanishing cupboard and into Hogwarts. The Death Eaters had taken charge then. They sent him to the astronomy tower to fire off the Dark Mark and draw Dumbledore to them. Then Snape had killed him. Draco had repented but Snape did the deed anyway. The Potions master had then grabbed Draco and ran.

A warm arm around his shoulders and a shushing noise brought Draco out of his reverie. His sobs had grown loud enough to wake Harry. Draco turned and buried his face in the other boy's shoulder. Harry just held the sobbing blonde until Draco had calmed down.

"I'm sorry," Draco mumbled, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright love," Harry said, stroking Draco's head. The Slytherin was still trembling. "Bad dreams?" Harry asked, "or bad memories?" Draco tried to chuckle through his sobs.

"Both," he said, "and the memories go from bad to worse." Harry nodded understanding what Draco meant. He knew the blonde had been waking up every night and standing on the balcony for a while before coming back to bed, usually quietly crying, and he could only assume that he was remembering.

"You know," Draco said after a few minutes, "I promised myself a long time ago that no one would see me cry." He looked up at Harry grinning weakly.

"It's ok," Harry said lovingly, "I didn't see."

"Thanks, Harry," Draco whispered, kissing the other boy.

"C'mon," Harry said, "it's almost three and we have lessons tomorrow." Draco nodded and allowed Harry to help him up. They made it inside, when an intense humming sound startled them. Harry took his sword from where it was lying, disturbing something that had perched on top of it, and struck the wall with the metal tip of the scabbard. Using the resulting spark he lit the torches and flooded the room with light. After blinking away the afterimage, Draco was able to see the source of the noise.

There was a multitude of dragons in the room of all shades. The seven dragons that belonged to the circle were in the center, around Draco's egg pot. The pot itself was rocking back and forth, nearly toppling over. Draco ran to the pot, the dragon's obligingly making room for him. The door from the common room burst open and the seven guardians ran in.

"Take it out boy," Aerion said brusquely, "it can't hatch in the pot!" Draco nodded dumbly and quickly emptied the pot onto the floor. The egg was rocking back and forth and Draco was watching it intently.

"We need fresh meet to feed it," Ghin said. He was nearly dancing in excitement and reminded Harry strongly of a middle school student hyped up on sugar.

"Dobby," Harry said, instantly thinking of the house elf when feeding was mentioned. There was a crack and the person in question appeared.

"Master called Dobby sir?" the house elf said, bowing.

"Ah little cousin," Aerial said kindly, "We will need a platter of freshly butchered meat to feed the hatchling." Dobby bowed again but before he could disappear, Morniel spoke up.

"There will be seven full wings of elves here for the hatchings," she said, "please prepare a feast in celebration little cousin, to be served right away."

"Dobby is honored to serve his cousins," and the house elf disappeared with another crack. An instant later, another house elf appeared with an overloaded tray of meat still dripping blood.

"Almost lad," Gwathtal said, eyeing the egg, "when it hatches, feed it. Don't stop until it does."

Draco barely heard him. He was staring at the egg when he realized that he was also inside the egg. He rammed his nose into the shell above him, straining to get out. He was so hungry. At long last, a crack appeared above him and he stretched out his forearms and hind legs, pushing the shell apart. The light that shone into his eyes, as the shell fell away, blinded him. He looked around at all the faces, both draconic and human until he saw himself.

Draco blinked, he was staring back into the face of a dragonet and he could here a voice speaking. _I am Nox, and I am soooooo hungry._ Draco couldn't help but laugh as he grabbed a handful of the meat.

"Here then," he said, offering the chunks to the dragon. Nox tore into the offering with such gusto that Draco thought he would surely choke. As the dragon ate, Draco examined him. Nox looked nothing like the other dragons present, which were mostly solid colors. Rather, Nox's hide seemed to ripple and flow like water. He was a beautiful creature to be sure, and Draco promised himself to thank Harry appropriately when they were alone again. Nox butted at his now empty hand and Draco laughed as he grabbed more meat for the voracious dragon.

"What's his name?" Daniel asked. Draco looked up startled.

"Didn't you hear him?" he asked confused.

"Dragons communicate through telepathy," Isilomir said, "Only you can hear him at first. He may decide to let others who are important to you hear him at some point, but that takes time." Draco nodded and looked back at Nox and couldn't help but smile again.

"That's not entirely true," Ghin said wryly, "Isilomir and Tanya can talk to any dragon they want." Isil started to laugh at this but Daniel interrupted his mirth.

"The name boy," he said, sounding irritated.

"Oh," said Draco, "Sorry, I forgot you asked. His name is Nox."

"Hmm a good set of names," Daniel said, more to himself, "Nox and Kore."

"Who's Kore?" Harry asked. He too was enthralled with the beauty of Draco's dragon.

"Kore is the name of Hagrid's hatchling," Isilomir said, "some of the others are helping him."

"Others?" Draco asked, still not looking up from the voraciously eating Nox.

"Yes," Isil replied grinning, "You don't think that all these dragons here are rider-less do you?" The rest of the guardians laughed at this. There was much more talk of dragon names, and the riders associated with them, before with a final burp, Nox crawled into Draco's arms and fell asleep.

"Well now," said Aerion, "we can't have you going to feast in your night things." He gestured at the two students and their pajamas were replaced with the finest clothing Draco had ever seen. Harry was now clad in a tunic of reddish-orange that shimmered and danced like live flames, and a matching set of trousers with a red belt and red boots. Draco, for his part, was dressed in a similar style, except his belt and boots were green, and his clothing resembled water. There was also a pad sewn under the right shoulder, and Isil showed him how to get Nox to cling there, with his tail wrapped around Draco's neck, so that Draco could still use his hands.

"Now," Ghin said, when Harry and Draco had finished examining the new clothing, "Girt yourselves with your swords, so we can go party!" Harry couldn't keep from laughing at the antics of this boy. He still had a little trouble believing that this kid was the Guardian of Destruction but he knew better than to challenge it. When they had threaded their swords onto their belts the two boys headed for the door.

"Why should we walk?" Aerial said sweetly, "There are enough dragons here to move nine people."

"But there isn't enough room…" Draco began, but stopped when he realized he was moving. Just not in the way he had expected. The castle seemed to be zooming by in fast-forward and, in another few seconds, they were standing outside the great hall. The entire entrance hall was lit up with torches, and there were crowds of people moving in towards the dining hall. They were making such a noise, that Harry was sure that some of the faculty would come to see what was going on so early in the morning.

"You see," Isilomir was saying as he guided them into the hall, "dragon's are able to use three abilities: teleportation, telepathy, and telekinesis. Nox will learn to use all of them in time, but for now, eat and enjoy the celebration. There hasn't been a hatching in hundreds of years, so this feast will last most of the day." A group of people hailed Isilomir from across the hall and he excused himself from the two boys.

"Why can't we just go to sleep?" Draco asked yawning.

"No time for sleep," a black haired man said. He wore his hair tied back in a ponytail and had a dragon earring in one ear. Except for the black long sword on the man's back he reminded Harry strongly of Bill Weasley. "C'mon boys, there's drinking to be done!" He looped an arm over each of their shoulders and steered them towards one of the tables.

"Turin," Tanya said, coming out of the crowd as Turin filled goblets on the table, "These boys aren't old enough to drink!" Turin filled a fourth goblet and deftly passed it to Tanya before handing one each to Harry and Draco.

"Nonsense," he said picking up his own cup, "Draco's a dragon rider now. That entitles him to a drink, and I hardly think you can deny a Guardian, apprentice." The last was said with a grin before he raised his glass. "A toast," he said, "to the newest guardians and dragon riders." He lifted his glass and Harry and Draco followed suite. Tanya sighed and raised her glass as well. All four of them drank and Turin grinned at the looks on Draco and Harry's faces when they lowered their cups. "Never had elvish wine boys?" Harry shook his head, more to clear it than answer Turin's question, but Draco seemed to be examining his glass with interest.

"What'd you call this again?" he asked as he drained the rest of the goblet.

"Wine," Turin said with a grin, refilling both boys' cups. "That'll make sure you're awake the rest of the night." He grinned as the two boys wandered off to talk with others.

"You know Turambar," Tanya said shaking her head, "You could have been a bit politer and actually introduced yourself before drinking."

"Well this got you to come over didn't it?" he asked innocently. Tanya gave him a look but he moved closer and whispered, "Word is that the kings themselves are coming." Tanya gasped as he pulled away. The kings were coming? She instantly thought of the boys, but before she had the chance to find them again, trumpets could be heard outside.

"What are they thinking?" Tanya said, checking her watch, "It's only four. Humans aren't awake at this time!" Turin laughed as she stormed off to reprimand the three kings.

Harry and Draco heard the trumpets too. They had been wandering around the hall talking with various people, but now everyone was facing the doors. Wondering what was going on, the two boys moved towards the entrance. They suddenly found themselves at the end of an empty lane to the hall doors and the seven guardians were standing behind them. Isil put a hand on each of the boys' shoulders and squeezed reassuringly as the doors swung inwards. Three people walked down the aisle that everyone had created, and stood waiting in front of the guardians.

"Hail Majesties," Isilomir said, bowing fully and forcing Harry and Draco to do the same. The entire hall reechoed the word 'Hail' back and bowed too.

"Isilomir," the one in the middle nodded, "These are the boys then?" he looked Harry and Draco up and down, not giving the slightest indication of what he thought. Isil nodded.

"This is Harry," he said indicating with a gentle pat on the shoulder, "and this is Draco. Boys, these are the High Kings of the elven races. In the middle is Ingwe, High King of the Solosimpi, on the left, Thingol, who was once called Elwe, High King of the Sindarin and Teleri, and on the right, Finwe, High King of the Noldor." Harry and Draco bowed again to each of the kings in turn.

"Hmm yes…" Ingwe said, nodding approvingly. As one, the three elves held out their arms, and Tanya, Menon, and Arthur appeared to remove their traveling cloaks. The apprentices then offered cups of wine to the three and stepped back into the crowd. Ingwe raised his glass then and the hall grew completely still. Harry glanced around and noticed that there wasn't a surface that was not covered with dragons. It seemed that every dragon had somehow managed to perch somewhere in the hall without landing on a person's shoulder.

"Hear me now and bare witness," Ingwe said, his barritone ringing through the hall, "In the name of Iluvatar, I, Ingwe of the Solosimpi, first of the Quendi, bestow my people's blessings on Nox and Kore. May your hearts be true, and your deeds blessed with goodness." He raised his glass to both dragons before taking a sip. Then, he moved forward and bent down on one knee in front of Harry and Draco. "The light of my people will grace your paths. Drink now, and receive our blessings on your Guardianship." Ingwe offered his cup to Harry first. Harry was a little nervous, but Isil squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. Harry took the cup from the elf, and sipped from it before handing it back. Ingwe offered the cup to Draco and then, when Draco had returned it, stood and stepped back into line with his fellow kings.

"The Solosimpi hail you, Gryffindor and Slytherin!" Ingwe shouted to the hall. A third of the assembly raised their glasses and shouted 'Hail Gryfindor and Slytherin!' while their dragons trumpeted in the rafters, before drinking. When they had quieted again, the one who had been introduced as Finwe came forward and raised his glass.

"Hear now and bare witness," he intoned, just as Ingwe had. Finwe's voice was more lilting and was in the tenor range. He was carrying two cups, one that was red and one that shone green. "In the name of the Valar, the Lords of the West, I, Finwe of the Noldoli, second among the ancient houses, bless these hatchlings in the name of my people. Nox and Kore, may you ever prove usefull in both work and play to your partners, and may all your works ring true for all time." Here, Finwe too drank to both dragons, once from each cup, and he also stepped up and kneeled down in front of the two students. "The skill of my people shall forever guide your hands. Drink now, and be blessed in all you do." He offered both cups at the same time, the red one to Harry, and the green one to Draco. When both had drunk, he stood and stepped back.

"The Noldor hail you, Guardians!" Finwe shouted to the hall. The second third of the assembly raised their cups and shouted, 'Hail Guardians," once more accompanied by bugles from above. When silence reigned again, the last king stepped up. The silence seemed to stretch, as if the hall was anticipating something unwanted.

"Hear now and bare witness," Thingol said to the hall, "In the name of the eldalie, I, Thingol of the Sindarin, Elwe Singollo of the Teleri, least of the houses of elves, grant the blessings of my people to Nox and Kore. May your horizons remain distant, and your wings never tire." He drank to each dragon, and then looked at the two boys. He did not kneel then, as the others had, but contemplated them for a moment.

"Never," he finally said quietly, "in all my long millennia, have I seen good come from the association of men and elves. Their works are invariably turned to dark purposes and tragedy, regardless of intent. The blessings of my people are not lightly given to men, who have hunted us more than our brethren. Let it be known," he went on, his voice once more ringing through the hall, "that I will not tolerate the wishes of my fellow Lords." There was mutterings throughout the hall at this statement, and many dark looks were being exchanged. Harry was becoming increasingly more nervous as Thingol eyed them up and down.

"However," he continued, now drawing every eye in the room back to him, "long have my people been blessed by Lorien, and long have we held his kin in the highest of regards for they are our own. So it is with great honor, and no little amount of foreboding in my heart, that I bestow the blessings of our houses." He raised his voice once more and raised his glass high. "At the request of Isilomir Thalionore, son of Lorien, Guardian of the Balance, friend of old, and my brother through Melian, I do grant to you, Slytherin Draco Malfoy and Gryffindor Harry Potter, the blessings of the house of the Sindarin, those who never knew the light of the West. May your paths be hidden from your enemies and all your ways made safe by shadow. Also, I bless you under the name of Teleri, to guide your feet ever onward, and to light in your hearts the desire that all our kin share." He then kneeled and touched his head to the floor at their feet before offering his cup to Draco. Draco automatically accepted it and drank. Harry followed suite when the cup was offered to him. Neither boy had really understood what had just happened, but they could tell that Thingol had just ruffled a good deal of feathers with his speech.

"Hear me now you Teleri and you Sindarin," Thingol shouted, standing, but not resuming his place. "We shall again stand apart from our brethren. In the name of Lorien, and at his son's request, let the blessings of the least house be the greatest of all. Hail Slytherin and Gryffindor!" He raised his glass high, and all the remaining elves who had not yet spoken responded, 'Hail Slytherin and Gryffindor!' The response was the loudest yet, and every dragon in the hall joined in. They did not stop after the toast. Continuously they shouted 'Hail!' until the entire assembly was shouting, and the dust was shaken from the rafters. When the crowd had quieted, Ingwe spoke up again.

"Now friends, brothers, and comrades from times long past," he said, smiling warmly around at everyone in the hall. "Let us celebrate. Today… let the wine flow as it did in times of old, in our kingly halls that now rest beneath the waves. Today… let no one refute the glory of our people! Today," he was shouting again and Harry couldn't help but grinning, "let us once more show this world the splendor of the West! To Feast!" The entire hall erupted in cheers as people pulled out chairs from tables and sat. Turin appeared out of nowhere and hauled Harry and Draco off to another table where three people were just sitting down. Tanya and Menon followed them and took the last two seats at the table. The table was situated just to the side of the door and, no sooner had they all taken their seats, than a very agitated Filch came storming into the hall, Mrs. Noris on his heals.

"What in the world…!" he shouted, looking around shocked. No one beyond their table heard him though because they were all being very noisy, and several had started playing music on fiddles and drums.

"Ah Filch," Menon said, attracting the caretaker's attention, "would you care to join us? We were just about to start eating." He smiled and gestured for the man to join them.

"It's four thirty in the morning," Filch spluttered, "who are all these people?"

"Now, now," Menon said getting up and leading the distressed caretaker out of the hall. Tanya laughed.

"He'll appease him," she reassured the others, "We probably just woke him with all our shouting."

"I don't see how anyone could be sleeping," Turin said, "It's a hatching! They should be celebrating."

"Not everyone in the castle knew about the dragon eggs," Harry said as he served himself and Draco some of the roast that had appeared on the table. Harry didn't recognize the cut of meat, but it tasted very good.

"Don't let Turin get started," warned one of the others, "he's quite the partier you know." Turin opened his mouth to retort but the other man at the table interrupted him.

"Are you going to formally introduce us Turin?" he quipped at the shorter man, "or do we have to introduce ourselves?"

"Why would he introduce you?" Tanya asked grinning at the expression of outrage that was spreading over Turin's face, "He didn't even introduce himself before he poured those two drinks."

"Are you implying my dear," Turin said with an outraged air that made Harry grin, "that I am only interested in drink?"

"Yes," Tanya said, sticking her tongue out at Turin. The man stuck his tongue right back at her before continuing.

"Harry, Draco," he said, now sounding very formal, "this is Beleg Cuthalion, former captain of Doriath," he gestured to the man sitting next to him, "the other two over there who are being so lovey dovey," at this the two chuckled and the girl also stuck her tongue out at Turin, "are Beren and Luthien Tinuviel. Beren is my cousin on one level or another," Turin finished.

"What was up with Lord Thingol?" Draco asked. The expressions on the faces of their companions darkened a bit.

"You remember what his majesty said about men?" Beleg asked. Draco nodded.

"The men he was referring to are these two here," the elf continued motioning to Turin and Beren. "One of them stole his happiness, and both were ultimately responsible for taking his life."

"You guys killed him?" Draco asked shocked. In his experience, killing your king was punishable by death. Turin burst out laughing at that.

"That's different than we expected," he said shaking a finger at Beren. Beren glowered back before turning to the two students.

"We were expecting the question to be, 'Why are you still alive if you're men?'" he said grinning himself at that.

"Aren't all three of you men?" Harry asked, gesturing to Turin, Beren, and Beleg. This sent both Beren and Turin into gales of laughter again, and Beleg looked slightly annoyed.

"I suppose the easiest way to answer your question Harry, is no, I'm not a man." Harry looked taken aback and opened his mouth to apologize, but Beleg continued. "What I am is a male elf," he said, "these two here are humans who were granted permission to enter Valinor, diverging from the destiny of mortal men. They are immortal now, like an elf, but they were once mortal, and it was then that they did harm to Lord Thingol." That statement shut the other two up instantly.

"Thousands and thousands of years ago," Beleg continued, "when Thingol still ruled over the Sindarin elves from Menegroth, Beren here happened upon Luthien. He fell in love, and went to great lengths to prove to Thingol that he was worthy of her hand. Thingol asked him to steal one of the three fabled silmarils from Morgoth's crown. It was deemed an impossible feet, but Beren managed to do it anyway with Luthien's help. It cost him his life in the end, and Luthien followed him to Mandos' halls. There she convinced the god of fate to return her love to life, and Beren was granted immortality. It was the love of Beren and Luthien that I was referring to when I mentioned Thingol's happiness. The silmaril that Beren recovered was his contribution to Thingol's death.

Now many years later, after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Turin's mother requested that Thingol protect her son, as Morgoth was marching on their lands, and Turin's father, Hurin, had not yet returned from war. Thingol agreed and raised Turin as his own son. One day though, Turin got into an argument over dinner with one of the elves at court and killed him. Though Thingol pardoned him, Turin fled into the wilderness, and lived his life fighting Morgoth. Many years and sorrows later, Turin slew the dragon Glauruung, and then, learning that the dragon had deceived him into marrying his own sister, he took his own life. The treasure that Glauruung had been hoarding was brought to Menegroth, and through it, Thingol lost his life. It is because of this, that he distrusts men."

The table had grown silent, as everyone had listened to the story. Now Luthien spoke up.

"But all that happened ages ago," she said, "while my father still distrusts men, he has made amends with Beren and Turin. There are no hard feelings remaining and we should not dwell on the past. This is a hatching, and such sad tails are not suited for it."

They discussed many things, Harry and Draco asking most of the questions, but the elves had their own questions to ask too. They were constantly eating and drinking the whole time, but no one seemed to get full. Harry was shocked when he noticed that it was nearly seven o'clock, they had been feasting for nearly three hours and there were no signs of it ending any time soon.

Students began to trickle into the hall little by little. From their table near the door, Harry was able to watch as each group saw that the hall was already full. He and Draco laughed as each astonished student was greeted by one of the elves, and then led off to one of the many tables that had been set up. Harry had serious doubts that everyone would fit into the hall, but there seemed to be a seat for every person that walked in. It was hard for Harry to decide who was more confused by the state of affairs that morning. The students were certainly not expecting to walk in during the middle of a feast that had, by all appearances, been well under way for hours, but it was the teachers that seemed to be the most discomfited by the celebrants.

The staff table was nonexistent that morning and instead, the teachers were led over to the table where Isilomir and the three kings were eating. Dumbledore seemed to be the only one in a good mood, as the rest of the staff wore forbidding expressions on their faces that suggested it would not be a good idea to step out of line that morning.

Hermione and Ron came into the hall and, like everyone else, paused in amazement on the threshold. Harry saw an elf start to make her way over to them so he stood up and waved to his friends. The elf noticed and bowed to Harry before pouncing on the next student, a terrified looking Neville, as Ron and Hermione made their way over to the table.

"Harry," Hermione said as she and Ron took the seats that had appeared for them, "What's going on here?" she asked, looking around the hall.

"A feast my dear maiden," Turin said before Harry had a chance to speak, "Something to quench your thirst, honorable friends?" he asked holding up the wine skin. Harry held his own cup out and Turin gladly refilled it.

"Turin!" Tanya snapped at him, "They can't drink that, and you know it." She instead offered the two Gryffindors the pitcher of orange juice. Turin shrugged and refilled everyone else's goblets before setting down the skin. Hermione was just staring around the table at everyone.

"Don't just sit there Hermione," Harry said, chuckling, "eat something." He reached for more of the roast, but Draco's hand beat him there. With a smug look at his boyfriend, Draco liberally forked slices onto his plate, before dumping an equally large number onto Harry's. Ron had served both himself and Hermione by this time from the breakfast dishes on the table, and she began to eat automatically, still staring at Turin.

"Is there something on my face?" Turin asked after a minute, wiping his face with his hand before examining it. Hermione seemed to shake herself awake before responding.

"Are you Turin Turambar?" she asked. Turin looked dumbfounded and Beleg burst out laughing. Beren and Luthien gave the two of them curious looks and Menon chuckled. Tanya let out an exasperated sigh, and looked like she wanted to throw some of her peas across the table at the dragon rider.

"How'd you know?" asked Turin, still looking confused and now starting to look disappointed. Beleg was still doubled up with laughter.

"Well," said Hermione looking a little embarrassed, "Tanya called you Turin, and," she said pointing to the hilt of Turin's sword, visible over his shoulder, "you have a black sword. I thought it might be too much of a coincidence for there to be two people named Turin who both had black swords." As she finished she noticed that both Beren and Luthien were regarding her with interest now. Beleg was still laughing and unable to talk, but he was making a 'hand it over' gesture to Turin.

"Oh fine," Turin said irritably flicking a gold coin at Beleg. The elf neatly caught it and pocketed it before taking a drink. He seemed to be calming down enough to talk, because he now started in on Turin.

"I told you," he said clapping his friend on the back, "I told you someone would know you." He turned to the others at the table to explain. "Turin thought that after tens of thousands of years, no one would remember a former prince of men. So I made a bet with him that if he could get through the entire feast without being recognized by any human, I'd give him a gold piece." He raised his glass to Hermione solemnly. "Thank you, kind lady, for saving an old elf's pride." Grinning he took a drink. Hermione looked more confused than ever, but before she could say anything else, Tanya spoke up.

"You all have lousy manners," she said glaring around the table, "you haven't even introduced yourselves yet." She looked pointedly at Harry, and he realized she meant that he was supposed to effect introductions.

"Oh right," he said, putting down the forkful he had been just about to eat. "Everyone, these are my friends, Ron and Hermione," he said, pointing to each in turn. "Ron, Hermione," he went on, now pointing to each person as he named them, "This is Turin, Beleg, Beren, and Luthien." Each elf nodded in turn, but Hermione now looked incredulous.

"But," she said, her breakfast apparently forgotten for the moment, "You're all fictional characters." She looked around the table at each of the four strangers.

"How do you mean?" asked Beren, "We're very real if you ask me." The others laughed at his comment but Hermione pressed on.

"Fifty years ago, a muggle named J. R. R. Tolkien wrote four novels. The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy," she had all the elves' attention now, "The Hobbit was about the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, and the Lord of the Rings was about his nephew. After Tolkien died, his son published all his father's notes and stories about what happened before the time of The Hobbit in a book called The Silmarillion. The stories of Turin Turambar and Beren and Luthien are told in that book. There's no way you can be those people. They come from a man's imagination." Ron was also staring at her now. It was commonly known that Hermione read more than anyone else alive, but they had always assumed she only read her textbooks. She obviously read a lot more things than they gave her credit for.

"Tolkien… Tolkien…," said Turin thoughtfully, "Where have I heard that name before…" he seemed to be lost in thought but Beren didn't let the silence last for long.

"You say this man wrote them?" he asked, he continued eating and glanced up to see Hermione nod. "Did he give credit to anyone?" This question seemed odd to Hermione. Why would the author, the originator of the stories, give credit to anyone else?

"He didn't list anyone in a bibliography," Hermione said, "but in the stories themselves, he gives the character Bilbo the credit for having written them. The Hobbit was said to be Bilbo's memoir and the Lord of the Rings was told to him by Frodo." Beren smiled and nodded.

"That'll make the two of them happy," he said. Turin was still trying to remember where he had heard the name Tolkien before. "For the love of the Valar, Turin," Beren said, "your memory is horrible. Isilomir told us a while ago that Tolkien was publishing these stories. We'd never managed to get a copy for ourselves though." Turin's face brightened, and he nodded confirmation.

"You mean," Hermione said looking around, "Those things really happened?"

"Well," Beren said, "Frodo and Bilbo would have to read them to tell you how accurate they are, but from what you've said, yes. Those events actually transpired at the end of the Third Age." Hermione looked dumbstruck by this news. Ron reminded her to eat, and her fork began to automatically move between her plate and mouth as she continued the conversation.

"And what about the Silmarillion," she pressed, "did that happen too?" Beren looked a bit uncomfortable at that question and it was Luthien who answered.

"The Silmarillion, as we know it," she said, "is not a single fixed collection of stories. Silmarillion, in elvish, means literally 'of the Silmarils,' the three jewels that Feanor, son of Finwe, crafted before the First Age of the world, when the two trees still shone in Valinor. Elves refer to The Silmarillion as all the tales of the world, since the beginning of time. The individual events and people throughout history are more commonly reffered to by name. For instance, the Fall of Gondolin is a tragic tale that is a part of the Silmarillion because it happened in history. For our own tale, it is most often heard in the Lay of Leithien, which tells of all our adventures, unto our passage West. Turin's life is sung of in the Lay of the Children of Hurin." Hermione nodded thoughtfully but any further questions she might have had were postponed by the tolling of the bell.

For once, Hermione seemed to be seriously considering skipping class to stay and talk, but Ron hauled her off anyway. Harry promised that they could sit there again at lunch. As soon as the last student had left, and all the staff had followed them, the tables were slid back, leaving an open space in the middle of the hall. The musicians, who had been wandering around all morning, climbed atop a large empty table near at the end of the space opposite the doors and began twiddling together. When they seemed to be satisfied, the leader, an elf holding a fiddle, looked up at the ceiling for a minute. There was an answering chirp and a flight of dragons landed on a little frame that had been set up.

"For the first number of the morning," the elf said in a clear tenor, "we will perform our duty to the new hatchlings." The lead dragon peered over its shoulder at the elf, who twitched his bow to sketch the time. The dragon's head bobbed in time with the bow, and it faced front again before sitting up on its haunches and beginning to croon. One by one, the rest of the dragons on the frame joined in until a multilayer chord was resounding through the hall.

The dragons all around the hall were bobbing their own heads in time with the music, and everyone was silently listening to the performance. The elf on the harp ran a scale at the end of which the dragons changed chord. On the third chord, the drummer began to tap out a martial beat that wasn't very loud, but was definitely assertive. The guitarist began on his melody: an expectant air in it that complimented the martial beat and the runs that the harp was adding. As the fiddler put his bow to the string the dragons abruptly changed the pattern. Now it was the guitar and the harp that were carrying the chords, embedded in the melodic lines of those instruments, and the dragons broke into intricate soaring descants as the fiddler carried the melody over them. After the first rendition of the melody, a trumpet fanfare sounded, and the musicians broke out into variations on the theme.

It was the most beautiful music that Harry and Draco had ever heard, and they would have been content just sitting at their table and listening. After the first piece though, the band began to play dancing numbers, and Harry and Draco found themselves being propelled onto the floor by Tanya and Menon. Beren and Luthien followed, as did every other couple present. Harry had no idea what he was doing, but Draco seemed to have an idea, so he just matched his movements to the other boy's and they danced as well as anyone else on the floor. Several times they saw Isilomir dancing with Morniel as they went spinning by. They caught sight of others who had introduced themselves that morning too. After three dance numbers they both retired to the table and eagerly accepted the wine that Turin poured for them.

The dancing went on until about eleven thirty, at which point everyone returned to their tables and began eating again. Shortly after the feasting had resumed, students began coming in for lunch. Harry and Draco laughed at their table at some of the expressions on their fellow student's faces. They looked like they thought that the elves had spent the entire morning eating.

When Ron and Hermione showed up, they accidentally bumped into another person entering the hall. Hermione was embarrassed enough when the man bent down and started picking up her books, but her face went even redder when he stood up and handed them to her. Curious, Harry stood and went over to see what the problem was. As he reached Hermione, the man noticed him and nodded his head politely.

"Mae govannen, Gryffindor," the man spoke. His voice was pleasant enough and had the same accent as the rest of the elves. Harry had been given a crash course in society by Draco after their trip to Silanost two weeks before, and he recognized now that this person had just stated, knowing full well who Harry was, that he was above him in the pecking order. Harry bowed fully at the waist and managed to get out the elvish greeting Tanya had taught him that morning.

"Elen si-sila lumenn' oment… omentielvo," he said. His voice shook as he tripped over the unfamiliar words, and the man was grinning as he straightened up.

"Quenuvalye i lamber Eldareva?" the man asked, arching an eyebrow. Harry gave him a blank look completely at a loss. The man laughed good-naturedly and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I see," he said gesturing for Harry to lead the way to the table, "You sound as timid as I did when I first learned." Hermione was still staring at the man and Ron led her by the arm over to the table.

As they approached the table, everyone stood up and pressed their right fist to their heart in salute. As they all resumed their seats, Harry was beginning to wonder exactly who this person was. Turin passed around the wine skin again and the man raised his glass.

"I apologize for not making the initial toast," he said. He raised his glass a little higher and said, "A laita te, laita te! Andave laituvalmet! Gryffindor a Slytherin, a laita tarienna!" He drank deeply from his glass and began to serve himself.

"I suppose everyone's head is on the feast today," quipped Tanya, "rather than on manners?" she gave the man a look and he grinned back at her.

"Of course, my lady," he said, gravely nodding his head to her, "I am known as The Great Mariner and the Morning Star. I am the keeper of the silmaril, and father of Elros and Elrond the Wise. I am the son of Tuor and Idril, known by the people of the West as Earendil."

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Well the feast is so fun that I couldn't possibly fit it all into one chapter, especially after the hatching and all. So look forward to more partying in the next installment. Meanwhile enjoy the food, oh and feel free to correct me on any Lord of the Rings information I may have mixed up on. Ciao folks.


	20. Chapter 19

Ok, well I almost posted the chapter after this, but that would have screwed you guys all up so luckily I caught myself. Anyway enjoy the rest of the feast and I'm afraid there's more backstory in this chapter so bare with me. You guys really made me write for the review responses this time to lol keep it up. Have fun.

**Jujube15** – Thank you for continuously reading and never neglecting to press the button that feeds the muse bows Enjoy XD.

**DestinyEntwinements **– I'm glad you asked about him, cause I sometimes forget that other people haven't read Tolkien quite as religiously as I have :). Earendil is a mariner from the first age (that's roughly 10,000 years ago, give or take a millenia) that successfully sailed to Valinor (heaven) and petitioned the gods for help. He goes on several adventures and eventually the gods give him a ship that can sail the highest airs (space) and the light from the silmaril that he wears in his crown becomes a star. The corresponding star in our sky is the planet Venus. Hope that helps and glad you're still enjoying this.

**Suteneko01** – I'll try to stay on my feet don't worry about that. The dragon's growth is addressed next chapter but needless to say it's fast. Also most of the characters aren't major parts you have to remember so that's another thing you don't have to worry about :). I'm glad you liked my feast and I hope you enjoy the rest of it.

**TheDarkestTemptation** – I'm glad you're enjoying this, and I'll be sure to let Tanya and Menon know they have a fan. As I said earlier, don't worry about the names. If any of them come up again I'll just reintroduce them lol.

**Hiero Kaze** – Thanks. Hope you find this one interesting too.

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**Chapter 19**

For a change, Hermione was completely silent all throughout lunch as Earendil taught Harry and Draco some elvish phrases. She seemed awed by the man's presence and Harry really couldn't blame her. Earendil was beautiful beyond words. Several times he caught himself staring at the man. He shook his head when he caught himself staring for the fourth time. _He may be more handsome,_ Harry thought, _but Draco is miles ahead when it comes to lovability and being adorably cute at times. Besides, no one could replace Draco. _He smiled sideways at his boyfriend. Even though these thoughts were shocking, he decided to wait to tell Draco what he thought about him when they were alone. _There's no way this guy can measure up to Harry…_ Harry stiffened in his seat and glanced over at Draco. The blonde had his mouth full, so there was no way he could have spoken. Nox, however, appeared to be awake somewhat and he winked at Harry before opening his mouth and screeching for food.

In the ensuing bustle of feeding the dragonette, Harry remembered the last time he had heard Draco's voice in his head. That was something else they'd have to work out later, Harry decided, and turned back to the feast. The bell for afternoon classes rang shortly after and the hall was once again filled with music and dancing.

Though the feast resumed once more when the students returned for dinner, the feel of it was different. The hall was not filled with idle chatter as was customary at meal times. Rather, the elves took turns standing and singing ballads. When the first elf stood, Daeron, Harry recalled, he sang a mournful tune, translating it to English for the benefit of the humans.

_Where have all the voices gone,_

_When Silence comes to call,_

_And mankind has lifted up,_

_From service and from thrall._

_They fled from their dying lands,_

_They fled to West of west._

_Never to be seen again,_

_Though men have tried their best._

_And all they leave behind them_

_Are ruins cold and grim._

_No longer will their songs float up_

_Upon the gusting wind._

_Where have all the voices gone?_

_I told you once before._

_They sailed to the utmost West_

_To sing on silver shores._

There was a polite smattering of clapping throughout the hall as Daeron returned to his seat. Almost immediately though, Turin was on his feet, gesturing for one of the musicians to hand him a harp.

"Well sung indeed Daeron," he said nodding to the elf, "you are indeed the most skilled among us. If I may though, you have told only half the story," he plucked the harp, drawing another melancholy chord from the instrument as he motioned with his head to his dragon. The beast landed on his shoulder and listened attentively to the harp before sitting back and crooning a high note that clashed with the runs on the harp. Turin told the boys later that a flute would generally play that note and that it was informally known as the note of prophecy, for that was most often what it accompanied in the songs of the elves. Turin strummed a few more runs on the harp before opening his mouth to sing.

_In the near and far distant year,_

_The world enshrouded in new fear,_

_When the world is lost and the world is saved,_

_On the tip of Westland a castle raised,_

_Three towers it has, soaring to the clouds,_

_And to its walls the winds have bowed._

_The foundation drops to Ulmo's depths,_

_Where only the sea lord himself has swept._

_And his blessing is set upon that place,_

_Where cliff, wall, and sea, share the same face._

_And under his touch the stone grows fine,_

_Flowing as water under will divine._

_The halls echo with voices long lost,_

_When the eldar return to fair Silanost._

There was another round of clapping as Turin appeared to have finished, but his dragon kept up its keen and Turin strummed a new chord on the harp. He opened his mouth again and continued.

_In times of old, four lords were there,_

_Masters of fire, water, earth, and air._

_They new nothing of each other's realms,_

_And each commanded many helms._

_With each life of lord laid down,_

_A new mortal would take up the crown._

_And so it passed for ages long,_

_Recorded only in the eldar's songs._

_But the four were fated to meet at last,_

_In an age that long since has passed._

_They came upon a forest green,_

_And fought and strove by all unseen._

_When at the last they had all been spent_

_They faced each other, peace their intent._

_The lord of fire, Godric by name,_

_Approached the center, courage his claim._

_Next the lord of water came near,_

_Salazar brought cunning shear._

_Wise Rowena, lady of air,_

_Brought all her wisdom and knowledge to bear._

_And last but most steadfast of the four,_

_Helga, lady of earth and lore,_

_Brave and true of the entire group,_

_It was her faith that saved the troupe._

_These four bound one to the other,_

_And lived as siblings, sister to brother._

_But when that age came crashing down,_

_The four lost all their wide renown,_

_And faded back into the mists of time,_

_Remembered only in this ancient rhyme._

_When at last their lives they end,_

_They passed the torch to four young friends._

_And to these young ones a lord did appear,_

_And laid to rest all their many fears._

_He bound them to their post for life,_

_Sealing those families to pain and strife._

_But good did come from this selfless act,_

_Though the lord was banished for the pact._

_Now foretold was it on that fateful day,_

_That the entire circle the price would pay._

_And treachery from Salazar's son,_

_Would ruin the circle, except for one,_

_Who faithful will remain till the end,_

_When that lord returns to earth again._

Silence reigned in the hall as Turin finished and the dragon's note died away. He bowed to Isilomir, and to the three kings before reclaiming his seat and taking a drink. Across the hall, Ingwe stood and spoke in a clear voice.

"Thank you Turin, for reminding us of what was foretold," he said. He motioned for another to stand before continuing, "Perhaps a lighter tune now, to grace this hatching feast." The elf he had gestured to nodded and started in on a happier song.

"A verse from Leithien was a good choice," Tinuviel said, grinning as the elf began to sing of the adventures she and Beren had experienced.

"Just because those old kings don't like to be reminded of their mistakes," Turin said sourly, looking over his shoulder towards the kings.

"What do you mean mistakes?" Hermione asked. She seemed to be much more herself now, despite the fact that Earendil was again sitting next to her.

"Well," Turin said, facing the rest of the table again, "when that prophecy was made, the three kings thought that Isilomir was gone for good." The students were listening carefully now, their food forgotten. "As punishment for interfering with the mortal circle, Isilomir was banished beyond the edge of the world. None have successfully returned from that punishment, but Isilomir reappeared twenty years ago on the edges of Valinor. Many were displeased to see him, for if he could return, than so could Morgoth, but that is another matter. The dragon riders were, of course, pleased that our commander had returned, but none was happier to see Isilomir than his lord and father Lorien. That god confined Isilomir to his halls for five years to be sure that he was fully recovered, but Isilomir did not rest during that time. He had us flying to more halls than I care to count to petition for supplies, and help.

When Lorien finally acquiesced to Isilomir's pleas, and once more let his favorite child roam at will, no time was lost. Isilomir sent us on ahead, in secret, to observe the world. We made note of events and wars, politics and economics. Never before had the elven people known so much of the affairs of men and Isilomir used this information masterfully. In a mere five years, he had amassed a staggering amount of knowledge about the current state of the world. This was ten years ago, three years before you started school here, and Isilomir already knew as much about you, if not more, than Ravenclaw.

At that time, Isilomir dropped off the radar. The rest of the Gods assumed that Lorien had once again drawn his child into his gardens to keep him out of trouble. Lorien did not dissuade them of this and, with Ulmo's support, aided his son in all his works. Isilomir had withdrawn to Alqualonde among the Teleri, and he earned their trust, and thus the use of their ships. They asked permission of the Valar to once again build their gray ships to ply the waves, and the Valar granted it. Eight years it took to build the fleet. Eight years in which Isilomir was ignored by the Valar and the kings of the elves.

Two years ago, he appeared in the Mahanaxar on Taniquetil before the Valar with a proposal that had never been heard before. He claimed that he could recover that which had been lost many ages before, when Earendil here, defeated Ungoliant. The jewels of the Calacirya, which had been stolen by Morgoth in the darkness that ensued after he killed the two trees, Laurelin and Silpion, is what he offered the Valar for their help. With such a lucrative reward for an almost certainly impossible task, the Valar accepted Isilomir's bargain, thinking that if he didn't return, that would be one less person stirring up trouble.

Isilomir called together the celestial circle of guardians and they set sail in one of the newly completed ships. None knew to where they went but they returned without the ship and slung between six of the dragons was the sail of their boat and Isilomir was nowhere to be seen. The dragons did not land at the harbor, or at Taniquetil. They flew straight to Lorien's gardens and rumors quickly spread that Isilomir himself had been mortally wounded in the recovery attempt. No news of Isilomir's condition or the results of the mission left Lorien's borders, and Valinor was filled with an anxiety it had not known for ages, for if there existed a creature that could mortally wound one of the Maiar, none could tell what would happen if it sought retribution.

Wounded though he was, Isilomir refused to hide in the gardens of his father. By night, he and his companions transferred the sail and its contents to the Mahanaxar, and Isilomir waited there till the Valar arrived for their meeting the next day. He could barely stand and was heavily bandaged with some of his wounds still bleeding, but he stood straight when the Valar had taken their seats and he proclaimed to them that he had recovered the treasure known as Calaciryo Miri, and that they must now uphold their end of the bargain.

The Valar did not believe this and told Isilomir such. They had seen for themselves the remaining six dragons carrying their leader back on the ship's sail. It was then that Isilomir revealed what was under the sail, and much starring in wonderment was done on that day, for Isil had indeed recovered the treasure, but I heard tell that he would have lost his life had it not been for his son.

And so the Valar aided Isilomir and gave him their blessings. He loaded all the supplies and supporters he had been gathering for half a decade onto the fleet and set sail for Tol Eressea, which you now call England. He saw them through the mists of the shadowy seas but he himself did not make the journey entirely by boat. He returned to Valinor after the fleet had passed through the mists and made one more request of the Valar.

Never before had one of the Maia dared to ask for such a thing as Isil now requested. Orome flatly refused him, and Lorien tried to dissuade him. Isil was not to be discouraged, or dissuaded, and he challenged Orome. He bid Orome to set a test by which Isil could prove himself worthy of such a gift. Orome thought for many days and finally told Isil that if he could master one horse from Orome's herd, than he would win the horse he had tamed. Isil spent the better part of a week meditating and communing in the middle of the herd, and Orome thought he had succeeded in posing an impossible task.

On the tenth day, the horses began ignoring Isil and Orome was unworried. By the twentieth day, the horses no longer avoided him. When Orome checked on the thirtieth day, one of the horses was talking with Isil. Orome became worried that Isil might succeed after all but put it out of his mind. Celeb would never let one of his children be ridden. That evening, Orome was surprised to hear a knocking on the door of his hall. When the doors swung inward, the god was surprised to see Celeb walking calmly down the hall and on Celeb's back, Isilomir, sitting tall and looking straight ahead.

Orome was bound by his deal, and so, Isil rode to Taniquetil on the back of the father of horses. What a horse he had won. Celeb, who could sense the greater currents of the world and ride even upon the road known as the path of dreams, the only physical being to ever place hoof upon that road and find purchase. All others not submerged in their dreams would find nothing but the airs beneath their feet. Thus it was by this road, the Oloromale, that Isil came to the shores of earth before us, and made everything ready.

The mistake of the kings was in ignoring Isilomir. They pay him mind now, but great was their torment when they thought of the words of scorn and dismissal they spoke to him ages ago, before he was banished. They set no stock in the prophecies, and banned all but the first verse from their halls. What I sang was the omitted verses, and they could do naught to stop me as these are not their halls."

Turin looked rather pleased with himself as he finished, and drank deeply of his wine. The clapping as the singer finished his ballad reminded the students at the table that they were still at the feast. The singing gave way once more to dancing, but this time the students were included as well. Tanya, who explained in elvish to every elf that approached them why the two of them weren't dancing, repeatedly saved Harry and Draco from revealing their secret to the school. It was with a bit of shock that Harry realized it was once more two in the morning as the teachers called a halt to the revelries.

"I know that our guests might wish to continue," Dumbledore said, his voice ringing through the respectfully silent hall, "but I'm afraid I must impose upon you to end this happy celebration. Accommodations can be made for any not wishing to return to their proper beds tonight. My castle is your home for as long as you wish it dear friends. Now to bed with the lot of you!" He smiled as a yawn swallowed the last part of his sentence and the hall laughed.

"You realize we've been up for nearly twelve hours?" Harry asked Draco as the two of them made their way to the broom closet.

"Don't say that," Draco said through a yawn, stroking the sleeping Nox on his shoulder, "that just makes me even sleepier." The dragonette was once more sleeping peacefully, having eaten a couple hours before. The two boys made it up to their room and Harry crawled into bed immediately. Draco laughed to himself and arranged Nox on the pillow before changing and climbing in too. He wrapped his arms around the Gryffindor and nuzzled his neck goodnight before drifting off to sleep.

It seemed to be barely a moment later when an insistent screeching startled them both awake. Nox was tearing incessantly at Draco's arm; his eye's whirling with the color of hunger.

"What in the…" Harry mumbled, fumbling for his glasses. He waved a hand irritably towards the torches and they burst into life. Locating his glasses, he shoved them on, and then immediately grabbed a bathrobe when he saw the damage the hatchling was doing to Draco's arm. "DOBBY! KREACHER!" Harry yelled out as he wrapped the bathrobe tightly around his own arm and placed Nox on top of it. The dragon did not stop creeling, but it did perch on Harry's arm. Harry then grabbed a towel in his free hand and helped Draco wrap up his arm. Just as they had finished, both house elves appeared with a pop, Dobby carrying a very full tray of freshly killed meat. The house elf had barely set down the tray when Nox landed on it and began eating enthusiastically. Harry sighed, rubbing his sleep deprived eyes and wondering how long the dragon would be waking them in the middle of the night to eat.

"Thanks Dobby, Kreacher," Harry said, nodding to each elf in turn. Dobby beamed up at him.

"Always a pleasure Master Harry," the house elf said, "Mistress Tanya told Dobby to keep a plate ready for when you or Master Draco called." Harry nodded his thanks, another yawn overtaking him again.

"Kreacher comes when master calls," the other elf said, bowing and then speaking to the floor, "even if master is a filthy, traitorous, mudblood loving…" Harry never did get to hear what he was supposed to be, because what happened next was too fast for anyone to follow. Draco had leaped out of bed onto the surprised Kreacher, knocking him flat on his back and landing on the elf's chest. He had then stretched his hand out for his sword, lying against the wall by the bed, and a tendril of water had shot out and pulled it to his hand.

"If I hear you insult Harry one more time," Draco said dangerously, his nose an inch from the elf's own, "I'll see to it that this blade is the last thing you see." The elf swallowed and it was not lost upon any in the room that Draco had the seam between handle and sheath pressed directly over the elf's throat, blade edge down. Kreacher nodded his understanding, and disappeared as soon as Draco was off of him. Dobby followed after apologizing profusely.

"Thanks Draco," Harry said, looking down at the sheets as he fiddled with a corner, "but I'm afraid that'll just make him worse."

"It might," said Draco, snuggling back into bed, "but at least now they're gone and we can sleep." Harry chuckled at the apparent single mindedness of his boyfriend and closed his eyes, dousing the torches. A second later, the sated Nox landed in-between them, and soon all three were once more peacefully sleeping.

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The sound of pounding on their door woke them next morning. Grumbling, Harry picked up his glasses and looked at the clock. It was ten in the morning he noticed before Draco reached up and pulled him back down.

"We aren't getting up until he does," Draco whispered, motioning to Nox and wrapping Harry in his arms again. Harry chuckled, thinking that maybe the knocking had just been his imagination when the door opened and Hermione stuck her head in.

"Harry? Draco?" she asked. Draco sat up before Harry could.

"What?" he said, sleepily, rubbing his eyes, "whastheideawakingusup." Harry almost burst out laughing at the slurred speech but that would have ruined the effect.

"Sorry Draco," Hermione said, "there's some people here who want to talk to you guys. Is Harry awake?" Draco shook his head still rubbing his eyes.

"I'll get him up," he said, "we'll be out in a bit." Hermione nodded and withdrew from the bedroom. Draco sighed as Harry sat up next to him. He looked down at the bloody towel that was wrapped around his arm and gingerly unwound it. He grimaced as the threads pulled out of the scabs, opening some of the wounds again. Harry conjured some bandages with his wand, and made Draco sit still while he carefully wrapped the arm from elbow to wrist.

"We'll get Pomfrey to look at it later," he said, kissing Draco lightly before sliding off the bed. He slipped a bathrobe on and then helped Draco get one on over his shoulders. Draco collected Nox off of the pillow, and arranged him comfortably in the crook of his uninjured arm. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the way Draco looked.

"What?" Draco asked indignantly.

"You look adorable with your arms tucked up inside the bathrobe like that," Harry said, kissing him on the forehead.

"If anyone hears about this," Draco growled up at the dark haired boy, "I'll never do this again." He captured Harry's mouth with his and forced his way inside.

"Well if that's the way it is," Harry said, smiling down at the blonde, "then I solemnly swear never to tell another living soul that you're adorable." He kissed Draco again, grinning all the while. "Now c'mon, let's see who wants to see us." The two of them headed for the door to the lounge, but when Harry opened it, he stopped dead in the doorway. Draco could sense that Harry had become more nervous and didn't push him through the door.

Harry was staring around the lounge at the people gathered there. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting on one of the three couches, and Fred and George were on another. Charley was sitting in an armchair and Bill was leaning against the fireplace. Ron and Ginny were both seated in armchairs and Hermione was standing near the door to the bedroom. Harry realized with a bit of a shock that the only Weasley not there was Percy.

"Oh there you are Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley said, motioning him to the empty couch.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said still standing in the doorway, "What are you doing here?" He felt Draco tense behind him when he said who was in the room.

"Well dear," she said, "Minerva owled us to come to an Order meeting today, and we thought we'd come early and see how you all were getting along." She beamed around at the students before continuing, "Now, Harry dear, I heard you had a bit of a fright at the start of term. Are you all right now?" Harry merely nodded, his brain working in overdrive trying to figure out how to explain the fact that Draco Malfoy was standing behind him in pajamas.

"You still don't look like you've been eating enough," Mrs. Weasley went on, "oh!" she seemed to remember something else, "and Ginny tells me you're in a relationship. You'll have to introduce us at lunch."

"Just tell them," Draco whispered to Harry, "if one Weasley knows, they might as well all know." Harry nodded and swallowed.

"Well actually," Harry said, "You can meet them right now." Mrs. Weasley looked shocked.

"Minerva is letting you sleep in the same room?" she asked before wheeling on Ron, "You, young man, had better be sleeping in your own dorm." Ron held up his hands and opened his mouth to profess innocence, but Harry spoke again.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Draco," he stepped aside to reveal the blonde standing behind him. Harry took another deep breath and swallowed again, "he's my boyfriend." Silence reigned in the room as those who hadn't known let the news sink in. Harry watched the reactions of the Weasleys with some mixed feelings.

Fred and George looked dumbfounded; starring back and forth between Harry and Draco as if they thought Draco would suddenly change into someone else. Bill and Charlie, having never actually met Draco, were looking at him curiously. Mr. Weasley looked as shocked as Fred and George, but Mrs. Weasley was looking concerned.

"Did you hurt yourself dear?" she asked kindly, motioning for the two boys to sit on the empty couch. She came over to Draco after they sat and started to tug at his bathrobe. "Come now; let me have a look at it." Draco was unsure of how to respond. He was unused to being treated like this by anyone. He had just gotten used to letting Harry touch him and help him, and now this woman was asking him to let her look at him. Nox, who let out a disgruntled little squawk as Mrs. Weasley tugged on the bathrobe, saved him.

"Goodness what is that?" Mrs. Weasley cried stumbling back.

"Oh don't mind him," Draco said quickly to reassure Mrs. Weasley, "he's just sleeping." Draco extricated Nox from the folds of the bathrobe. He handed the sleeping dragon to Harry and then offered his right arm to Mrs. Weasley. She sat down next to him on the couch and began unwrapping the bandages.

"Look at this Charlie," she said, "that's a regular dragon there." Charlie perked up at this and came over for a closer look. He knelt down in front of Harry and peered at the dragon on his lap.

"Amazing," he said looking up at Draco to see if it was okay to touch Nox. Draco nodded and Charlie stroked a finger down the dragon's neck. "Simply amazing. I've never seen one like it." Fred and George had finally stopped staring at Draco and were now rolling their eyes at Charlie's back.

"Aren't dragons illegal?" Mr. Weasley asked standing and peering over Charlie's shoulder. He seemed to have decided to ignore the fact that Draco was a Malfoy for the moment, but Harry thought he would probably have an argument with Mrs. Weasley later about it.

"The only dragons that are illegal in England are the ten breeds on record at the Ministry," Charlie said, still not looking up from the dragon on Harry's lap, "and this little beauty isn't one of those. Where'd you get it Draco?"

"Oh," Draco replied, "Professor Isilomir gave it to Harry, and Harry gave it to me." He winced as Mrs. Weasley removed the last of the bandages and examined his arm.

"How on earth…?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she examined the gashes on Draco's arm.

"Nox was a bit hungry last night," Draco explained, "He only hatched yesterday and he hasn't settled into a regular schedule yet." As if on cue, Nox sat up and screeched for food. The Weasley's all covered their ears at the noise but Harry just shouted for Dobby. The house elf appeared a moment later with a fresh dish of meat and Nox wasted no time in launching himself on his meal. Mrs. Weasley glanced over at the dragon and noted the claws that were gripping the edge of the dish.

"Well I'll just put something on it to speed up the heeling," she said, picking up her wand and pointing it at Draco's arm. A dark green paste flowed from the wand's tip and she smoothed the substance into the gashes before giving the wand another flick, causing the bandages to wrap themselves tightly around the arm again. "You should definitely have Madam Pomfrey look at it though," she said as the bandages finished winding. Draco nodded his assent and gently slipped the bathrobe back over his shoulders.

"Who did you say gave this to you?" Charlie asked. He was crouched down like a kid at Christmas time as he watched Nox devour his breakfast.

"Oh," Draco said, turning to face the gorging dragon, "Harry gave him to me, as a present." Draco blushed slightly as he said this but Charlie just turned to Harry.

"And who gave it to you?" his eyes were filled with curiosity and, Harry thought, a tiny bit of desire.

"Isil- er, Professor Thalionore gave it to me," Harry said, "I asked him for an egg to give to Draco when Draco mentioned that he didn't have an owl anymore." As he said this, Harry blushed slightly as well and glanced over at Draco.

"Oh," Mr. Weasley spoke up, "I think I heard that name somewhere before. Is he the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, or the new headmaster?"

"Um, well…" Harry began. This didn't make sense to him. Surely Dumbledore had told the Order by now that he was alive, and as for the Defense teacher, Harry had been so engrossed in his classes with Isilomir that he hadn't even noticed who the new teacher was. It was Hermione who saved him.

"Professor Thalionore is a guest teacher," she said. "He's giving private lessons to Harry and Draco at the request of the Headmaster, who is teaching Defense classes himself." Mr. Weasley suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I remember where I heard that name before," he said excitedly, "The Minister was complaining about him over the summer. Quite the character if what the Minister says is true. I suppose he was grumbling about unapproved teachers at Hogwarts, but anyway, who's the new Headmaster? We haven't received any letters or anything regarding D- Dumbledore's replacement." Mr. Weasley brushed at his eye as though trying to get a speck of dust out. Everything was making less and less sense to the students. Why hadn't Dumbledore said anything?

"I heard you had guests, masters," Tanya said, stepping out of the wall behind Harry and causing all the Weasleys to jump, "are they welcome?" Her eyes flashed over the assembled redheads who were all staring at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Yes, they're welcome Tanya," Harry said. This was not the first time Harry and Draco had seen Tanya walk through walls. Isilomir had explained that she wasn't really walking through walls, but having the dragons teleport her to a strategic place in the room. Still the experience could be unnerving even when you knew how it worked.

"Very well," the girl said, letting her hand fall back into view, "I came to inform you, masters, that the meeting will be starting early and you are to prepare yourselves." She bowed and started towards the door, "I will wait by the door to escort you down."

"Now wait just a minute," Mrs. Weasley was on her feet blocking Tanya's way, "Those boys are still in school. They cannot attend an Order meeting. You can't just go walking through people's walls and summoning them places. Especially if they're teenagers who've barely come of age!" She was gathering steam Harry knew, and if Tanya didn't put a stop to it, Mrs. Weasley could go on for ages.

"The Headmaster ordered it madam," Tanya replied coolly, "I am merely these boys' servant. I have relayed my message and will now await my masters in the hallway as befits my station. Good-day." She sidestepped a speechless Mrs. Weasley and proceeded out the portrait without a second glance.

"Well, I never…" Mrs. Weasley said, sitting on the couch.

"Where ever did you find such a good looking servant?" Fred asked, eyes still glued to the portrait.

"And who is she?" George asked. He was also staring at the door.

"That was Tanya," Draco said standing up and hauling Harry up after him, "she's Professor Thalionore's apprentice and my teacher." He started dragging Harry towards the bedroom door. "And she's married," Draco added as an afterthought. Fred and George looked devastated.

"Didn't she just say that she was your servant though?" Bill asked from the fireplace.

"Well she acts like it sometimes," Draco said, "but during lessons she's a real taskmaster."

"I'll bet," George said with a meaningful look at Fred. Ginny promptly whacked both twins with a pillow as Harry and Draco went into the bedroom.

"I really don't know what to make of it all," Mrs. Weasley said sighing. She glanced over at Nox who was now allowing Charlie to stroke his neck and examine him closely. "It's nice that Harry has found someone though," she went on, "Draco seems like a nice boy and the two of them seem happy together… What?" she trailed off as she noticed that four members of her family were staring at her incredulously.

"Mum, do you know who he is?" Fred and George asked together.

"Molly, don't you know his parents?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I know I've told you about him before," Ron put in.

"Now I don't know what you all are talking about," Mrs. Weasley said looking back and forth between the four of them, "but none of you have ever mentioned a boy named Draco to me, much less that he was Harry's boyfriend."

"Molly," Mr. Weasley said carefully, as if he were afraid she might explode, "that boy is Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius Malfoy and nephew of the woman who killed Harry's godfather, and the boy responsible for killing Dumbledore at the end of last year."

"We've all told you about him mum," George said, "he was a right old prat before." Mrs. Weasley was staring shocked at the door that the two boys had gone through.

"Honestly," Hermione said crossly from her chair, "none of us really know Draco. I for one am going to trust Harry's judgment." She glared at Ron, Fred, George, and even Mr. Weasley until each of them had nodded their assent. "Good," she said, "now that you won't be plotting Harry and Draco's breakup, I'll take Nox and get him cleaned up for the meeting." She didn't give anyone a chance to stop her as she scooped up the dragon hatchling and carried him into the bedroom.

"Well they took that better than expected," she said to the dragon as she leaned against the door. Nox cocked his head at her. "Where are they? Can you show me?" Hermione asked. Nox examined her for another second and then jabbed his nose at the bathroom door. Hermione made her way over to it, and heard splashing and giggling, as she got nearer. "I'll just open the door for you," she told the dragon, blushing slightly. She opened the door wide enough to allow the dragon to slip through, and then she headed out onto the balcony to wait for the boys to finish washing.

They didn't take much longer. Both boys were still damp when they came out of the bathroom, but they at least had on bathrobes again. Nox was perched on Draco's shoulder and looked very pleased with himself.

"Why are you in here Hermione?" Harry asked as he and Draco dressed.

"Oh," Hermione called in from the balcony, "I just needed some fresh air, that's all." She came in just as they were slipping their robes on. "Promise to tell me everything when you get back Harry?" she asked. The boy nodded confirmation as he slipped his sword belt around his waist. "You know," Hermione said chuckling, "you look very medieval with that sword on." Harry looked in the mirror quickly to make sure he didn't look stupid.

"You look as good as you ever get love," Draco said, flicking a meaningful glance at Harry's hair. Harry had already dried it having learned the first time that leaving it wet meant that Draco could mess with it.

"Thanks, I think," Harry said, capturing Draco's mouth in a quick kiss and then taking his hand. "Shall we?"

"Oh yes, lets," said Draco grinning. The two boys made their way into the lounge. The Weasley's looked a bit surprised by the presence of swords at the boy's sides, but made no comment as they followed the two of them out of the lounge. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all waved goodbye, promising to wait there for them to come back.

Tanya led the way down to the dining hall, which had apparently been reserved all day for the meeting. When Harry asked about meals, Tanya informed him that the students were being served in their dormitory common rooms today. When the group entered the hall, Harry noticed that the house tables had disappeared and a circular table had been set up in the center of the hall. All the guardians and apprentices were already seated at the table except for Gwathtal who was standing by the door that led to the small parlor off the great hall.

Harry was just wondering where they should sit when Charlie grabbed both he and Draco by the arm and marched them around the table towards Aerial. He sat down next to the guardian, pushed Draco into the seat next to him, and let Harry take the next seat down. He immediately introduced himself and, without further preamble, began questioning both Draco and Aerial simultaneously about their dragons.

The rest of the Weasley family spread themselves out around the rest of the table, trying to avoid forming a wall of bright red hair at any one location.

"So," George said as he took the seat next to Harry. His voice was low enough so that it wouldn't carry to anyone else. "Is Draco a good kisser?" He grinned as Harry starred at him. "I'm kidding Harry," George said laughing at the expression on Harry's face, "but from your expression I'd say that he is." Harry blushed at that and closed his mouth and faced front. "But seriously Harry," George said, "Everything is ok? He's not forcing you to do anything?" Harry looked appalled. "Right forget I asked," George said quickly. Harry would have responded except that Lupin came over to say hello.

As more and more order members entered the hall, George's words were pushed out of his mind as more and more old friends greeted him. When the table was completely full except for three seats, Gwathtal knocked on the door to the parlor twice before taking one of the seats. Everyone turned in their seats as Isilomir stepped out of the room and walked towards the table. Everyone looked expectantly at him, thinking he was the new headmaster, but Isil left the headmaster's chair empty and sat to the right of it.

"Now there were several reasons for calling you all here," McGonagall said, rising from her place, "The first of which is to bring you all up to date on currant Order business and the second of which is to welcome sixteen new members to the Order." There was an immediate uproar at this news and it only gradually faded away behind a single decision, only Dumbledore could admit new members, and if he was unable to the full Order must vote.

"I understand how you feel," McGonagall said, "which is why we will attend to the first order of business before coming to the introduction of our new members. I'm sure that will help many of you to understand. So without any further talk, allow me to re-introduce our headmaster." The door at the far end of the hall opened, and the entire table, except for the guardians and apprentices, starred in shock as Dumbledore walked to the table and sat down.

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Wow that was fun. Anyhow, hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did, especially since it isn't easy to come up with that much end rhyme that makes sense. Till next time guys. Ciao.


	21. Chapter 20

Yay for thanksgiving break! My choice of money sucking institution (a.k.a. college) was kind enough to give me the entire week off so I plan to do a lot of writing. So here we are, chapter 20. This one was fun to write and I couldn't help but playing around more with my dragons and the apprentices. Just to let everyone know, I do appreciate being notified if I make any spelling, grammar, or horrendous factual errors in the story, and I'm going to edit and repost this entire thing when it's finished. Anyway, enough with my ramblings and on to the story. 

**Jujube15 –** Once again thank you for reviewing. As always, enjoy.

**Draeconin** – Thanks for the heads up about my spelling. I searched the story and fixed all those 'stares' so it should be fine now. I'm glad you liked the poems and hope you enjoy this chapter.

**DestinyEntwinements –** hehe yeah. You can bet that we'll be hearing more from the Weasley's later about Harry and Draco. Thanks for reviewing again, enjoy.

**KniGhtInwAitiNg – **Well you hopped so I updated. Glad you like it and thanks for the review.

**Erm66 –** Yeah I thought the transforming worked well. I'm glad you enjoy this, and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon.

**Hiero Kaze –** Well to be honest most of the family was avoiding making a scene in front of the boys. Despite their promises to Hermione, they're far from letting the matter drop. As for Draco's injury, I'm attributing that to one of three reasons. I either like blood on pale skin for some reason, or I wanted to show how much Draco has changed in allowing Mrs. Weasley to come near him. It was probably that I just wanted another excuse to have Draco shirtless for a scene though lol. Anyway thanks for the review. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 20**

It wasn't until much later that night that Harry and Draco finally regained the peace and quiet of their room. The meeting had been long and arduous and the last thing that Draco felt like doing right then was recounting everything that had been said to other people. As he and Harry opened the portrait, he was relieved to see that the lounge area was empty. Telling Harry that he'd be in shortly, Draco backtracked to the portrait. Nox chirped sleepily on his shoulder. Draco grinned as he stroked the dragon's neck. Nox had slept pretty much the entire meeting, and the only relief Draco had had from the arguing adults was when Nox woke up demanding food.

"Salazar?" Draco asked, peering around the edge of the frame at the snake.

"Yessss masssster?" the snake hissed at him, raising its head from the branch.

"Just for tonight," Draco said, "I don't want you to let anyone in here, got it?" Salazar nodded his understanding.

"And if it'sssss misssstressss Tanya?" the serpent asked. Draco thought for a moment before responding.

"Tell her we don't want to be disturbed, but if it's urgent, she knows where our balcony is." Salazar nodded again and Draco waved his thanks as he stepped back in the room. The portrait gave a satisfying click behind him and the blonde made his way into the bedroom. Harry was moving slowly, trying to stretch out muscles that were stiff from a day of sitting.

"It's been a while since we spent the day just sitting around," he said ruefully when he noticed Draco, "My back is sore." Draco chuckled as he stepped up to the Gryffindor.

"Why don't you let me help you then?" he said softly, running his hands down Harry's back and earning a blush from the other boy. He began to un-tuck Harry's shirt as he kissed the raven-haired boy gently.

"And if we're interrupted?" Harry asked slyly as he let Draco push him back onto the bed.

"We won't be," Draco said confidently, "Not unless it's important. Now," he said as he finished unbuttoning Harry's shirt, "take that off and role over so I can do this properly." Harry chuckled and did as he was told. Draco slipped his robe off, and crawled on the bed, straddling Harry's waste. He gently put his hands on the other boy's lower back and began to gently knead away the day's stresses.

Harry sighed deeply as Draco worked his way up. The boy's cool hands felt good on his tense muscles, and Harry admitted that he would be perfectly happy if Draco didn't stop at his waistline. _No,_ he told himself firmly, _I'll let Draco decide when he wants to do that. I'm not going to force anything._ He sighed again as Draco's hands ran the length of his sides.

Draco grinned as Harry visibly relaxed under his massaging hands. He caught himself wishing that he had asked Harry to remove all of his clothing, but stopped himself. _We need to talk about that first,_ he reminded himself, _and this is not the best place to rationally discuss that topic._ _Especially since the topic in question involves a similar position._ Draco shook his head to clear it, and concentrated instead on making Harry feel better. By the time he had worked out all the kinks, Draco's own back was stiff. Harry twisted around as Draco groaned slightly as he lay down.

"Take your shirt off and roll over," Harry commanded him as he sat up. Draco tried to protest that he was fine, but Harry silenced him in the best way possible. While Draco was lost in the kiss, Harry deftly unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off his shoulders. Draco gasped when he felt Harry's hands slide over his bare skin. He glared at Harry for playing such a cheap trick but Harry only smiled back sweetly.

Draco allowed the shirt to be removed, and slowly rolled over so that he was lying on his stomach. He sighed deeply as Harry rubbed his warm hands down either side of Draco's spine. He didn't know why, but Harry's hands always felt warm. For that matter, all of Harry felt warm, and Draco loved it. He felt himself relax as the Gryffindor's hands massaged his back.

When Harry was certain he had completely relaxed his love, he lay down on top of him and took Draco's hands in his.

"You know," Draco said happily, "You're like a very warm blanket." He twisted his head so he could look at Harry's face. Harry smiled back at him with that enchanting smile that Draco had fallen in love with years before.

"Warm as I may be," Harry said kissing the tip of Draco's nose, "I feel like I could use a nice hot bath."

"Hmmmm," Draco said, "that sounds like a marvelous idea, but," he glanced over at Nox who was sleeping on a pillow on the bedside table.

"Don't worry about him," Harry said following Draco's line of sight, "If we aren't going to be interrupted, we can leave the bathroom door open so he knows where you are."

"Where we are," Draco corrected him gently, "He was just as agitated when you weren't there today as when I was missing whenever he woke up." Harry blushed at that.

"That doesn't make sense," Harry said, "He's your dragon…" Draco caught Harry's chin with his hand and pulled Harry back around to face him.

"He worries because I care about you Harry," Draco said, staring the Gryffindor in the eye, "He needs you because I need you." He continued to stare at Harry till the boy nodded.

"It still feels a little weird, you know?" Harry said, "I'm not used to being cared for by someone like this."

"Well," Draco said, slipping out from under Harry and standing up, "that makes two of us then doesn't it?" He grinned as he held out a hand to help Harry up, "Now how about that bath." Harry grinned and allowed Draco to haul him to his feet. Once in the bathroom, the boys quickly stripped off the rest of their clothing and slipped gratefully into the warm water. They played around for a little, enjoying the sensation of floating.

Draco floated on his back, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about how much his life had changed in the past two weeks. His mind eventually ranged back in time the same as it had done two mornings previously. He blinked back the tears only to realize with a start that Harry was holding his head and looking down at him with concern written all over his face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked, wiping a tear away and kissing Draco's forehead. Draco nodded and then broke down sobbing. He turned in the water and buried his head in Harry's chest. "Shhhh," Harry said quietly, stroking Draco's wet hair, "It's all right now, I'm here for you." He half swam, half walked to the edge of the bath, carrying Draco with him, and funneled hot air down into the water to lift them out. With the same trick he dried them slowly and then wrapped one of the big fluffy bathrobes around both of them. He never once let go of Draco, and just let the blonde cry into his chest, all the while making comforting and reassuring sounds to sooth the other boy. He carried the blonde to the bed and lay down with him.

"It's funny," Draco managed to get out a few minutes later, "when I used to cry about things, my father would reprimand me. He said it made me look weak." He looked up at Harry, his eyes still red rimmed and tears still flowing down his cheeks. "It's the one good piece of advice that he gave me, and you were the last person I wanted to think of me as weak." Harry opened his mouth to say that he didn't think Draco was weak but the other boy held a finger up to his lips to forestall comments. "But you're the only person I feel comfortable enough around to cry." He smiled up at the Gryffindor, and Harry smiled back.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Harry asked again, running his hand along Draco's spine to relax him. Draco nodded and rested his head on Harry's chest again.

"I was such a prat you know?" Draco said after another few minutes. "I was such an evil little monster to you, and to your friends." He waited for Harry to try to deny it and was grateful when the other boy remained silent. "How did this happen Harry? How did we end up like this?" he asked turning his head so that he could look at his boyfriend. He was surprised to see tears on Harry's cheeks as well, but the Gryffindor was smiling from ear to ear.

"We have to be two of the unluckiest people on earth," Harry said still smiling and crying simultaneously. Draco opened his mouth to protest that he didn't feel particularly unlucky at that moment, wrapped in a bathrobe and pressed up close against the boy of his dreams, but Harry went on. "You remember when we first met?" Harry asked. Draco nodded.

"You rejected me on the stairs in front of all the other first years," Draco said chuckling, "If only they could see us now." Harry shook his head.

"No," he said, "before that. It was before school started. I came into Madame Malkin's to buy my school robes, and you were there being fitted. You remember that?" Draco's eyes widened as he recalled the occasion.

"You didn't reject me then…" Draco said, a touch of wonder in his voice, "we almost had a friendly conversation," he chuckled at the thought of it.

"Well," Harry replied, ruffling Draco's hair, "truth be told, I did think you were pretty pretentious and maybe a bit snobbish, but you didn't seem to be a bad person then." Draco's eyes darkened slightly as Harry said that.

"You're right," he said, "I was snobbish, but I was trying to be friendly. I didn't know who you were at that time, and it wasn't until I got home that evening that father told me that I was supposed to revile you. I tried to offer you friendship in the castle because I thought that if you were my friend, then my father would've been happy." Harry nodded in understanding. It was starting to look like he had guessed accurately that Draco, like Harry, had been trying to be someone to please someone else.

They spent the next hour reminiscing about the last six years, laughing at how they had interpreted each other's actions. Harry broke down when he told Draco about Sirius, and it was the blonde's turn to comfort and hold. Both of them were crying by the time they had reached the current year, Draco finally telling Harry that it had been him in Grimauld Place that had lured Harry outside.

"What kind of person was he?" Draco asked. They were still wrapped in the bathrobe, pressed comfortably close to each other, but their heads were level now.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Your godfather," Draco said after taking a breath, "Would he have approved of us?" Harry chuckled.

"I'm sure he would have found it highly amusing, and he probably would have teased me to no end about it," he smiled and turned to look at Draco, "you would have gotten along really well with him. You met him once I think." Draco looked surprised.

"When was that?" He definitely didn't remember ever meeting Sirius Black before.

"You remember that big black dog that followed me around for a few years?" Harry asked a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. Draco thought for a second and nodded.

"It showed up third year and watched your quidditch matches and…" he trailed off as he realized what he had just said. "Your godfather was an animagus?" he asked incredulously. Harry nodded grinning wider now.

"And an unregistered one at that," Harry said proudly, "both he and my dad managed it while they were at school and they helped Pettigrew figure it out too."

"Pettigrew," Draco said thoughtfully and then started, "Wasn't that the guy who brought Voldemort back?" Harry nodded glowering.

"Yeah," he said, "and he's the guy that was responsible for the death of my parents." Draco squeezed him tightly to comfort him and Harry smiled down at the Slytherin. "Anyway," Harry went on, "My dad and Sirius became animagi to keep their friend company."

"Who was their friend?" Draco asked, wondering why Harry's dad and godfather would need to be animagi to keep the person company.

"Professor Lupin," Harry said, chuckling at the look of comprehension on Draco's face, "Quite the foursome they made too. They made up nicknames for themselves," Harry went on, "Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. They got into all kinds of mischief." He smiled as he thought of his father and Sirius running around with Lupin under a full moon.

"What kind of animal did your father become?" Draco asked.

"A stag," Harry said, his voice starting to shake, "a great big stag that could handle a werewolf. Just like my patronus…" the tears threatened to overwhelm him again, and Draco clutched him close and then changed the subject. The two of them talked for several hours more before falling asleep, still wrapped in the bathrobe and in each other's arms.

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Hermione woke the next morning to the mingled screeching of beast and girl. Ron had been furious the night before when the snake had refused to let them into Harry and Draco's room, but she couldn't imagine he would be up at… she glanced at the clock and groaned. It was six thirty and it seemed that everyone in the dormitory was not only awake but also shouting.

"What on earth is that?" Lavender Brown was shouting pointing to the end of Hermione's bed, "And why is it making that awful noise!" The rest of the girls were squealing in terror as the thing on the end of her bed took off and swooped at each of them, still screeching. Hermione rubbed her eyes and focused on the little creature and, with a start, recognized what it was.

"Nox!" she shouted over the other girls as she threw a bathrobe on over her nightgown, "Come down here this instant and be quiet!" she held out her arm for the dragon and glared at it. Nox hovered in mid dive and contemplated her for a moment before meekly gliding over to her and alighting on her arm. The other girls stared at her as she tied her bathrobe with one hand and apologized to them while heading to the door.

"Sorry," she said, "I don't know why he came looking for me. It's Draco's dragon. I have no idea what he's doing here, sorry." She shut the door and hurried down into the common room. She glared at the dragon on her arm and found that it was staring back at her avidly its eyes whirling yellow at an alarming rate. "What on earth has gotten into you?" Hermione asked not really expecting an answer. She was surprised when she heard the word 'hungry' audibly. She looked around to see who had spoken when she heard it again.

"I'm sooo hungry," the voice said. Hermione looked down at the dragon as the creature put one of its forepaws on her chest in a pleading manner. Hermione groaned, she did not need this at six thirty on a Sunday morning.

"If you're hungry, you should have woken Draco," she said irritably as she headed for the portrait hole, "He can at least call Dobby, but we're going to have to walk if you want food." The dragon nodded and Hermione had the strange feeling that Nox was embarrassed about waking her. _He really is a lot like Draco,_ Hermione thought, _pretentious and stubborn until you get him all alone._ She shook her head as she left the portrait hole. She waved to the Fat Lady as she headed off towards the kitchens.

"So why didn't you wake Draco?" Hermione asked as she walked along. At that question the dragon tucked his head under his wing in embarrassment, but before Hermione could tell him it was okay not to tell, he started explaining it.

"Well I woke up hungry," Nox said, the simplicity of the statement causing Hermione to smile, "and Draco and Harry looked so comfortable and happy that I didn't want to wake them."

"So you came to wake me instead," Hermione sighed. Nox looked up at her again.

"Did I trouble you?" Nox asked. He sounded worried. Hermione shook her head.

"No, but I think you gave my dorm mates a bit of a scare." The dragon blinked.

"They were silly," he said simply, "I just cried out to wake you and they all started screaming." Hermione laughed at that and then asked the question that had been bugging her.

"Did Harry and Draco fight last night?" she asked. They were nearly to the entry hall and Hermione wanted to hear the dragon's answer before they reached the kitchen.

"Oh no, student Granger," the dragon responded promptly, "they were not fighting. They were…" and the dragon didn't tell her but an image formed in Hermione's mind of two figures wrapped in a bathrobe, holding one another close. Hermione shook her head as she realize that she was seeing Harry and Draco just before Nox had come to wake her up and she had also noticed that neither boy had been wearing anything.

"You didn't have to show me," she grumbled as she tickled the pear to open the door to the kitchen.

"My apologies student Granger," the dragon said humbly, "I did not know how to describe it." Hermione sighed again. She'd ask Draco later to have the dragon refer to her by first name but she didn't feel like arguing with a mystical creature about what she wanted to be called. As she stepped into the kitchen, she spied the platter of meat that was obviously prepared for the dragon. Nox saw it a second later and launched himself from her arm onto the platter with a squeal and began devouring his breakfast.

"Master did not have to come down here," Dobby said coming through the kitchen towards Hermione, "Master only had to call and Dobby wou-" he stopped as he realized it wasn't Harry or Draco standing there. "Oh, Mistress Granger," the house elf said bowing low, "Dobby did not realize he was to listen for you this morning." Hermione sighed. Here was another mystical creature with which she didn't feel like arguing about names right at the moment.

"I didn't either Dobby," she said kindly, sitting on a stool nearby, "Nox didn't want to wake Harry or Draco so he came to find me on his own." She started to protest as the house elves served her tea and breakfast but they would hear nothing of it. She sighed but won through on convincing Dobby to eat with her. The house elf looked pleased beyond measure and gladly ate.

"Food is GOOD!" Nox said, somehow managing to speak perfectly clearly even though he was in the process of tearing apart a hunk of meat. Hermione laughed.

"Yes Nox, food is good," she said chuckling as she watched the dragon sate himself.

"You can hear Master Nox?" Dobby asked, wonder filling his eyes. Hermione blinked as she turned back to the house elf.

"Yeah," she said, "didn't you just hear him?" Dobby's eyes went wide.

"Oh no, Mistress," Dobby said, "you can only hear dragons if they speak to you. That is what Dobby's big cousins have told Dobby."

_He is correct student Granger,_ Nox said to her, _you hear me in your mind, he cannot. Please tell chef Dobby that he is most excellent at preparing meals._ Hermione laughed at the absurdity of it all as she relayed the dragon's message to the house elf. This was absolutely ridiculous she knew. She had been woken by Draco's dragon to go to an early breakfast and not only that, but the dragon was apparently willing to listen to and obey her for now as well as speak to her. She decided to go along with it for now and resigned herself to enjoying the hospitality of the house elves. At one point Nox looked up towards the ceiling for a few seconds before returning his attention to the dwindling plate of food. A few minutes later, Hermione looked at her watch and realized that breakfast would be starting soon. She picked up her wand and, with a little flick, had herself cleaned and dressed.

"Mistress is a most excellent witch," Dobby said as Hermione checked herself in a hand mirror. She grinned at the house elf.

"I'll come visit you again soon Dobby," she said, "Come on Nox." She held out her arm and the dragon once more landed delicately, careful not to grip too tightly with his claws.

"Thank you Mistress," Dobby called after them.

_I'm not sleepy today,_ Nox said sounding pleased with himself. Hermione glanced at the dragon.

"Well it's a good thing it's Sunday," she said, "the dining hall won't be too crowded." She was relieved to see that she had been right as she took her seat at the Gryffindor table. She supposed that she was going to have to keep an eye on Nox till Harry or Draco came to collect him. Not that she minded, but it would have been tricky with an entire hall asking questions. As she sat down, Nox hopped onto the table and started examining things.

"Don't wander," Hermione told him as Crookshanks leaped up onto the bench next to her. She rubbed the cat's head and Crookshanks deposited a trophy mouse on the bench. Nox leaned down over the edge of the table to see what it was and Crookshanks in turn leaned in to smell the strange creature.

_What is it?_ Nox asked, as the cat approached him slowly. _And what's this?_ He had noticed the approaching feline and had turned to face it. Hermione chuckled as draconic muzzle inched closer towards cat nose. They looked like two people unsure of how to say hello. Crookshanks seemed to decide that Nox was ok, because he nuzzled him as he often did Hermione's hand. _He's soft,_ the dragon said wonderingly.

Crookshanks began purring as the dragon nuzzled back but it turned into a little mew of surprise as a hand gripped his scruff and hauled him up into the air on the other side of the table. Hermione looked up to see who it was and found the cat hanging calmly by his scruff facing a young boy with jet-black hair that hung straight down to his waist. He scrutinized the cat sternly before speaking to it.

"Arnailye vaselye?" the boy said to the cat. Hermione didn't recognize any part of the question from the little elvish she had learned at the feast, but Crookshanks seemed to understand it because he shook his head emphatically. The boy's face broke into a smile, and Crookshanks reached out with all his paws and latched onto the boy's shirt. He drew himself close to the boy's chest and licked up the side of his face before jumping back down onto the bench. The boy chuckled and sat down opposite of Hermione who was now absently stroking the purring Crookshanks while staring at the stranger.

"Na Draco si?" the boy asked her, helping himself to some tea. Hermione just stared uncomprehendingly at the boy and Crookshanks meowed at him. "Oh, sorry," the boy said in English, "I sometimes forget who I'm speaking to. I'm Lance, Apprentice of Morniel, Guardian of Light. Is Draco around?" He glanced around the nearly empty hall expecting to see the blonde. On the table Nox was poking at every dish he could see.

"No," Hermione shook her head, and quickly explained her bizarre morning to the boy. Lance looked surprised at Nox and batted his nose away from the pepper before he got too close.

"That's odd," Lance said when Hermione had finished, "dragon hatchling's normally only talk to their partner. It bodes well for them if Nox is already willing to talk to another person." He patted the dragon's head approvingly.

"It's more than one actually," Hermione said causing Lance to look up sharply. "He said he didn't want to wake either Draco or Harry so I assume he's talked to Harry too." Lance nodded thoughtfully at this and then scooped up the dragon to eye level. Nox looked surprised, but allowed himself to be poked and prodded.

"My specialty is with animals, if you haven't guessed," Lance said as he examined the dragon, "that's why your friend there didn't try to maul me when he realized who had picked him up." He nodded to Crookshanks who was trying to sneak a piece of bacon off the table. Hermione batted at the paw that had crept up and held the piece in question out for Crookshanks to have. "I'm just checking up on Nox and he seems to be doing well. Here," he held out a jar of what looked like lotion, "He's growing very fast as expected. He'll need to be oiled at every meal with that. He should reach full growth in about two months at this rate. Isilomir will be pleased." He grinned at Hermione, "Dragons are some of my favorites and this one's a beauty. My own personal favorite though," and he leaned in conspiratorially, "you want to meet her?" Hermione wasn't so sure she did but the boy glanced around anyway. The only people in the hall were other apprentices and he grinned. "Just watch he said." Before Hermione could protest the boy had whistled an extremely odd trill.

There was a slight sound of padding feet and the whole table shook slightly and suddenly there was a panther standing behind Lance. The boy grinned as Hermione registered exactly what it was she was seeing. Lance picked up an entire plate of sausages and put it on the bench for the panther.

"Do you want to touch her?" he asked. His eyes were alight with joy as he patted the big cat's head. Hermione reached over gingerly and scratched the panther behind the ears. The big cat purred, causing Hermione's entire body to shake with the vibrations. Lance chuckled. "Her name is Farosul." Just then, the voices of approaching students made them all look up. Lance leaned down and whispered something to Farosul, and the big cat looked up and gently nuzzled the inquisitive Nox, who had been inching closer to the big cat, before leaping halfway up the wall, and then bounding to the rafters. She was out the high window before anyone had seen her.

"Do all of the apprentices have pets?" Hermione asked as she stroked Nox reassuringly. Lance shook his head.

"We all specialize in something different," Lance said, "Tanya and Menon are combat specialists and expert blacksmiths, I specialize in animals, Raphael can use magic more effectively than any of us, Arthur is a hand to hand combat specialist, Ariel specializes in crafting anything under the sun, and Gwen is the best flyer and dragon rider of the apprentices. She's the only apprentice with her own dragon too." Hermione absorbed all this, and spent the rest of breakfast discussing animals with Lance. Towards the end, he convinced her to oil Nox, since neither Harry nor Draco was apparently coming to breakfast. Hermione was a little uncertain, but Lance assured her that if the dragon had chosen to talk to her, than it was all right.

After breakfast, Hermione wandered out onto the grounds with Nox. She new that Ron wouldn't be up till lunchtime, and she was pretty sure that Harry would thank her for not returning Nox right away, so to pass the time she decided to visit Hagrid. When she arrived at the grounds keeper's hut, she was not surprised to see Farosul staring down fang across the doorstep. She patted each animal before knocking politely on the door.

"Ah, Hermione," Hagrid said as he opened the door, "good ter see ya. Come in, come in." Hermione grinned at Hagrid as she stepped inside.

"Oh Hermione," Lance said from the table where he was examining Kor, "did you need me for something?"

"Oh, no, thank you," Hermione replied, "I just came to visit Hagrid." Hagrid beamed down at her, and then noticed the dragon peering out nervously from under her hair.

"Blimey Hermione, I didn't know you'd gotten one of the adorable critters too," he said leaning down to say hello to the dragon. Hermione laughed as she coaxed Nox out into view.

"This isn't mine," she said once Nox had finally allowed himself to be placed on her arm, "This is Draco's Nox," and Hermione found herself relating the morning's strange sequence again for Hagrid. While she talked, Nox hopped down onto the table and went over to Kor and the two exchanged greetings with each other.

She spent a rather enjoyable morning in Hagrid's hut, listening to Lance and Hagrid discuss all the various creatures they had come into contact with. Though Lance looked to be within a year or two of Hermione when it came to age, he apparently was much older. He talked about creatures he had seen ages before and Hermione felt a little dwarfed by his experience. Hagrid seemed to have a trump card though. Lance's eyes went wide when Hagrid mentioned Fluffy and Hermione couldn't blame him. She herself didn't have many good memories of the three-headed dog. Lance, however, seemed more excited than scared.

"You have a cerberus?" he asked excitedly when Fluffy was mentioned, "a huanoneldhol?" Hagrid looked confused, so Lance described one. It was an almost perfect description of Fluffy and Lance went ballistic with excitement. The topic of conversation ranged from hippogriffs to fwoopers and Hermione was a little surprised to hear the bell for lunch tolling at the castle. It seemed to surprise her companions as well because Lance checked out the window and Hagrid glanced at his clock.

"Well I'll be," Hagrid said chuckling, "It's lunch time. Better hurry Hermione, case Draco's been lookin for ya." Hermione nodded and thanked Hagrid for the tea. She collected Nox onto her arm again and strolled up the lawn to the castle. She had expected to at least see Ron but Crookshanks gave her the negative signal as she reached the great hall. Apparently her boyfriend was sleeping later than usual today. The rest of the Gryffindor seventh year girls were at lunch and Hermione had to explain for a fourth time why she had ended up with Nox that day. For the rest of lunch, when Nox wasn't eating, the girls examined him intently, remarking what a beautiful creature he was. As lunch wound down, Hermione was beginning to wonder where Harry and Draco were. Nox, who was in the process of tasting one of the sweets nearby, looked towards the ceiling and suddenly shoved his head into the nearest water goblet.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked, concerned as steam began to rise from the goblet.

_Student Granger was wondering what Harry and Draco were doing, _the dragon said in her mind, _so I checked and it is most embarrassing and not fit to say at meal times. _Hermione sat up straight and than sighed shaking her head. It figured that the boys would relish a bit of alone time, which would explain why the dragon just hadn't flown back to their room. After another minute, Nox removed his head from the goblet and resumed his browsing of the various items on the table. As the dining hall emptied of students, Hermione sighed in exasperation.

"I wonder what Ron is doing?" she asked allowed of no one in particular.

_He's sleeping._

Hermione blinked and looked around. No one was near her, and that had definitely not been Nox's voice. Crookshanks purred loudly in her lap and she scratched his head as she thought about it. Maybe one of the other dragons had spoken. Regardless she might as well get her work done. She didn't care what her three friends wanted to do after dinner; she was going to force them to work. She put Crookshanks on the floor and stood up. Nox looked up and flew to her shoulder.

_Where are we going?_ Nox asked as Hermione walked into the entrance hall, Crookshanks on her heals.

"We're going to the library," Hermione said, summoning her books and bag from the dorm, "I have to study for tomorrow."

_What's studying student Granger? _Nox asked as he gripped her ear for support. Hermione laughed.

"It's something that Harry and Draco don't do enough of," she told the dragon, "studying is what students do." As she walked to the library, Hermione answered Nox's questions about the castle and the grounds and Crookshanks was following them. There was a group of first year girls standing in one of the hallways and they started whispering when they saw Heremione.

"Did you need help with something?" Hermione asked as she came up to them. The girls immediately looked ashamed but one of them spoke up.

"We were just wondering why you're talking to yourself," the girl said. She looked a bit scared, as if she were afraid that Hermione would start yelling at her. Hermione's chuckle surprised the three girls.

"Oh," she said, "I'm just talking to Nox…" she gestured to her shoulder only to realize that the dragon wasn't there. She felt him sitting on the back of her neck, hiding from the group of girls. "Oh, now really," Hermione said exasperated, "that's very funny Nox. Get out here." She held her arm out and the girls watched, stunned, as the dragon meekly walked out on Hermione's arm.

"There now," Hermione said, smiling at the first years, "this is Nox." The girls went wide eyed at the site of him and leaned in to get a better look. Nox swelled at the attention, puffing his chest out in an attempt to appear important. The girls laughed as he swelled up and asked if they could touch him. Hermione nodded after Nox had given his permission and the girls looked awed as they stroked the dragonette.

"He's so beautiful," the girl who had spoken first said, "I wish I had one too." Hermione grinned at the girl.

"Do you like animals?" she asked the girl. A wide-eyed nod was all she got in response as the girl became absorbed in Nox's swirling eyes.

"I heard," the girl said after another moment, "from a boy in the seventh year, that there was a cerberus in the castle once." Hermione nodded and the girl's eyes lit up. "And is it also true that there were hippogriffs here? And full sized dragons before?" The girl grew more excited with each nod of Hermione's head and her two friends rolled their eyes behind her. "I heard there were thestrals on the grounds. I've always wanted to know what they look like. It would be horrible, I know if I could see them, but I'm just curious." Hermione grinned at the girl's rambling. She too had wanted to see what thestrals looked like, but she hadn't thought to add the qualifying statement when she had told Harry so.

"Do you like strange animals?" she asked the girl.

"The stranger the better," the girl replied enthusiastically. Hermione had taken out a scrap of parchment and was scribbling a note on it.

"Do you know Hagrid?" she asked as she signed the note and folded it up.

"You mean the grounds keeper?" the girl said. "I've never met him, but I heard a lot about him…" she finished as she took the note from Hermione.

"Well his hut is just down there, near the forest," Hermione said pointing, "I'm sure he'd love to talk to you about all manner of his pets." The girl beamed up at her before hurrying off, dragging her two friends behind. _Well at least that'll keep Hagrid busy for the afternoon,_ Hermione thought fondly as she watched the group disappear around a corner. She hefted her bag back to her shoulder and resumed her path to the library.

As she stepped inside, Madame Pince waved to her. She returned the greeting and then headed for a quiet table near a window. After telling Nox not to wander too far off, she set to work on the essay she had to write. Crookshanks leaped up on the table and crouched beside the roll of parchment. He occasionally reached out and tapped his paw on a mistake that she had made, and she rubbed his head each time in thanks. The afternoon wore away and Hermione managed to finish all her essays before Ron came to find her.

"Oh there you are," he said quietly, sitting down at her table as she rolled up the last of her essays, "I figured you'd be here." He rubbed Crookshanks' head affectionately as he kissed Hermione lightly. Hermione smiled up at him and noticed Nox over his shoulder creeping through one of the bookcases.

"Nox get back down here," Hermione called up to the dragon. Ron looked around as the dragon flew lightly to the table. He stiffened noticeably when he recognized the dragon.

"So where is the little ferret hiding?" he asked checking the tables on the other side of the bookcases. Hermione gave an exasperated little sigh and rolled her eyes.

"You know you could try being nice to him for Harry's sake," she said as she started to gather up her books. Ron opened his mouth to argue but Crookshanks chose that moment to pounce on Nox's tail. The dragon gave a very loud surprised squawk and flew to Hermione's shoulder, chittering madly at the cat on the table. Crookshanks, for his part, looked highly amused at the dragon's reaction. The noise inevitably brought Madame Pince down on them, and the librarian lost no time in shooing them out of the library. After extracting a promise from Ron that he would do his homework after dinner, Hermione agreed to go sit out on the grounds.

They found a nice empty spot in the sun and sat down together. Crookshanks began to hunt field mice and Nox watched him attentively from the air. It wasn't long before the dragon had figured out what the cat was doing and started imitating him. Nox told Hermione that Crookshanks had declared a challenge to see who could catch the most mice and both animals started darting around the area. Hermione told Ron what they were up to and they both laughed as they saw Nox dive for a mouse and miss it by about an inch.

"Hey, Ron!" someone called. Both of them looked around as Dean Thomas came over the hill towards them. "Oh," the boy said when he spotted Hermione, "I… I didn't see you there Hermione…" Dean looked suddenly nervous.

"Did you need Ron for something?" Hermione asked, watching the boy closely. Dean nodded and took a breath before speaking again.

"Maybe you both should hear this anyway," he said, "I think I've figured out what's going on with Harry." Ron and Hermione both stiffened at that. They didn't think Harry and Draco had been that obvious. Hermione regained herself first.

"You're still going on about that?" she asked in an exasperated tone, "It's Harry's life. He can date whomever he wants and we shouldn't spy on him."

"But," Dean said holding up his hands, "This is really important. Just listen to me." Hermione looked murderous but she didn't say anything else so Dean continued. "I was walking through the entrance hall a couple days ago, you know, when all those strangers were here?" Both Gryffindors nodded. "Well the door was slightly ajar and I caught a glimpse of Harry through them." Hermione exhaled the breath she'd been holding. If he had only seen Harry, than he didn't know.

"You see," Dean continued, "I don't think that… that Harry's going out with a girl." He stopped and waited for the other two to respond to him. Hermione felt the bottom of her stomach drop out, but Ron seemed to still have his senses, or he was just being his usual thick self, Hermione couldn't tell which.

"I thought we decided he was going out with someone," Ron said, "the Fat Lady said she heard them after all." Dean just shook his head and tried again.

"I didn't say I thought he wasn't going out with anyone, I just don't think it's a girl," he said. Ron was staring at him now, but Dean pressed on before either Ron or Hermione could interrupt him. "When I saw Harry in the hall, he was dancing with someone," Dean took another deep breath, "and that someone was Draco Malfoy." Ron opened his mouth to deny it, but Hermione moved faster than he could talk. In an instant she had Dean flat on his back with her wand pointing steadily at his face.

"Have you told anyone else this?" she asked quietly. Dean looked almost as shocked as Ron at Hermione's behavior but shook his head.

"I… I figured you should be the first to know…" he trailed off as Hermione tapped his nose with the tip of her wand.

"Keep it that way," she said getting up. Dean looked to Ron for confirmation.

"I'm afraid if you tell anyone," the red head said resignedly, "I'd have to wop you for Harry's sake." Dean swallowed and nodded again. He really couldn't understand the behavior of these two.

"You guys already knew," he said. It was not a question and Ron nodded to confirm it.

"And if you tell a single person about them," Hermione said, her wand still in her hand, "I have some very interesting spells to try out." Dean went pale and looked as though he'd rather have Ron punch him. With one last assurance of his silence, Dean headed off. Hermione sighed and gave her wand another flick. The retreating figure of Dean shook its head and then changed direction for the castle.

"What'd you do to him?" Ron asked accusingly as Herimone sat back down.

"Oh nothing much," Hermione said, stowing her wand back in her robes, "he'll just think this was all a dream now." Ron arched an eyebrow but didn't press the point.

"You know," he said after another minute of watching Crookshanks and Nox catch mice, "those two are going to have to tell people soon. Dean figured it out by chance, but people are going to start noticing something, and you can't keep fuzzing people's memories all the time." Hermione grinned sheepishly at that but nodded in agreement.

"I'll mention it to them tonight," she said.

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Bet none of you thought that Hermione would be so aggressive. Well anyway, please review for me and here's a heads up and/or teaser for you. I'm not going to skip over what Harry and Draco spent the day doing, so depending on how you feel about that kind of thing, you might want to skip the first part of the next chapter. But then again, if you're reading this and have made it this far, that's probably part of the reason you've put up with me for so long. Anyway, it's gap filling time next chapter, and another action sequence. See you then. Ciao.


	22. Chapter 21

Ok well, my schedule really didn't go as planned. So that's why it's been a couple weeks since my last post. Unfortunately with finals coming up the week after next, it's entirely possible that there won't be another post for _another_ couple of weeks. So, just bear with me until my semester is over then we can get back to our regularly scheduled updates. Anyway, enough about my life, and back to our two boys. Enjoy. 

**Jujube15 –** I swear one of these chapters I'm going to get more than an emote from you lol. Though, I admit that it's enough to keep me writing this thing. Thanks for sending the review and enjoy.

**Draeconin** – Thank you oh so much for correcting that amusing little mistake. Unless I find myself with too much time on my hands though, I'm afraid it will remain in the online version until I repost the entire thing. But since you asked oh so nicely to know what was going on, I am proud to present to you and all my other readers, this one of a kind gap filler chapter. So, enjoy it and be happy.

**DestinyEntwinements –** hmmm Nox went to Hermione because Harry trusts her. As to why he'd talk to her… well my friend that is for a later chapter. Thanks for reviewing again.

**KniGhtInwAitiNg – **Oh, I get to play Genie now lol. Your wish is my command, welcome to our gap filler chapter.

**Maben00** – yay a new reviewer! Thanks for the review and glad you like it.

**Hiero Kaze –** And up it goes. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 21**

Harry roused as something warm moved over his neck. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Draco's blonde hair move over to the side. A moment later he felt the Slytherin bite down gently on the side of his neck. He gasped at the sensation and he knew his excitement wasn't lost on the blonde, pressed close to each other and wrapped as they were in the bathrobe. Harry brought his own head up slightly off the pillow, and latched onto his lover's neck, using his hands to pull Draco into a position where they could maintain the contact and still rest on the pillow.

"You're very tasty," Draco said, letting go with his teeth. Harry released his hold too and grinned at the blonde.

"That's a very nice way to wake up," Harry told him, adding a kiss for emphasis.

"Apparently," Draco commented with a grin, grinding his hips to show he knew just how nice Harry had thought it was. Harry blushed as he realized Draco was just as aroused as he was. Harry sat up, but Draco didn't get off his lap. The blonde just reached behind him to arrange the pillows so that Harry would be more comfortable and then rotated so his back was pressed against Harry. He gathered the bathrobe around them again and snuggled back into his love. Harry did his best to stifle the moan Draco's movements coaxed from him, but he was only partially successful.

"I'm thirsty Draco," Harry complained smiling at the blonde on his lap, "lemme get up." Draco just smirked at him and picked up his wand from the table. An instant later he was holding a glass of water for Harry. With no reasons left to debate their position, Harry gratefully drank the water and then wrapped his arms around his love again.

"So what are we going to do today?" Harry asked. He noticed something in the room was missing but he couldn't place it right away.

"I was thinking we could just stay in bed," Draco said with a grin. Harry chuckled at that and squeezed Draco to show that he was fine with that plan.

"Where's Nox?" Harry asked, finally realizing what was missing.

"Hermione's watching him for us," Draco said, "and no I did not ask her to," he added before Harry could protest, "Nox woke her up this morning rather than either of us." He grinned back at Harry. "You see, it's not just my feelings he goes along with." Harry chuckled back at him and Draco leaned his head back on Harry's shoulder. They talked quietly for a little bit longer before Draco whispered seductively into Harry's ear. "You know, we're completely alone all day." Harry blushed and turned to respond but Draco captured his mouth before any words escaped.

While Harry was lost in the kiss, Draco placed his hands over the Gryffindor's. He slid his lover's hands down his bare chest and over his abdomen. Harry tensed when he felt coarse hairs touch his fingertips, but Draco whispered reassurances and continued to press Harry's hands further down. Harry became lost in the sensations as the movements of his hands caused Draco to wriggle in his lap, stimulating his own desires. As Draco broke the kiss to moan, Harry switched to the boy's neck and once more clamped down on it.

Draco was lost in his bliss. Harry's hands were stimulating him beyond comprehension and he slid them down and curled the Gryffindor's fingers around his inner thighs. A slight upward pressure clearly indicated his intent to the boy behind him, and Harry needed no encouraging. Draco's little jerking motions on his lap had driven all doubt from Harry's mind and it had been replaced with a desire to once more be inside his love. It was almost as if a dormant passion had risen up in each boy, both clamoring for the other to sate its need.

Harry lifted the blonde easily, letting his newfound desire guide him; he slowly lowered the blonde down. Draco gasped as he felt the contact. It was a sensation he had long missed and he wanted to make it last forever. It seemed that their bodies hadn't quite caught up to there passion though, because a second later they were both lying on their sides panting heavily.

"That… was… your… first… wasn't it?" Draco gasped, letting the afterglow wash over him.

"Don't… be… arrogant…" Harry said, wheezing out a chuckle at the end, "that was… your first time… too." He gestured to the mess on the inside of the bathrobe. Draco laughed and rolled over, causing Harry to gasp as the motion parted them. He kissed the black haired boy passionately.

"Did it feel like we'd done that before?" Draco asked, coming out of the kiss. Harry nodded.

"All I could think about before was how I wanted to be inside you again," Draco blushed heavily at that but Harry continued, "but we've never done this before. I'm afraid we aren't very good at it," he added laughing lightly. Draco grinned, kissing Harry again.

"Well why don't we practice then?" he asked as he ground his hips against the boy in his arms. The only response from the other boy was a long drawn out moan of assent.

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Hermione was grim faced as she stormed up to the portrait of the lion and the serpent. Ron was trying to calm her down as they approached but it wasn't really working.

"I don't think we should just burst in on them Hermione," he said as they came up to the portrait. Hermione wheeled around on him, Nox on her shoulder giving a little squeak as the move nearly unseated him.

"An entire day is more than enough time for anyone to satisfy their urges," she said crossly poking a finger into Ron's chest, "even you don't take that long." Ron went scarlet from the tip of his nose to his ears and let the argument drop. He didn't need Hermione going off about their love life in a school corridor. Hermione pounded on the edge of the frame until the lion trudged into view.

"What can I do for you miss?" he asked lying down comfortably in the clearing.

"You can open the door for me please," Hermione said in her most business like voice.

"I am terribly sorry miss," the lion said, actually managing to look apologetic, "but the masters gave instructions that no one was to be let in-"

"I don't care about their instructions!" Hermione shouted, interrupting the lion, "They have homework to do and they're going to do it!" Ron winced as his girlfriend's shouts echoed down the corridor. "NOX!" the dragon jumped at the sound of his name. "Go and inform those boys that I am coming in, even if I have to climb up to their balcony!" Nox gave a surprised squeak and disappeared. Hermione turned back to the portrait.

"Well what a set of lungs this one's got," a new voice said, drawing Hermione and Ron's eyes to the branch near the top of the painting. A raven was sitting there calmly examining them.

"Ah, Rowena," the lion said, glancing up to see where the raven was sitting, "she certainly is forceful isn't she?" The raven nodded thoughtfully still looking at Hermione. The lion calmly put his head down on his paws. "Remind you of someone?" it was almost a purr and seemed to shake the raven from its trance.

"Well," Rowena said, "hadn't you at least see if you can open the door?"

"When Salazar comes out, I'll know the boys are ready," the lion replied, turning his head away from everyone. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but the snake slithered into view and, with a quiet nod of his head, the portrait swung open. Hermione walked right in, Ron following close behind. Both Harry and Draco were just coming out of the bedroom; Nox perched on Draco's shoulder. Both boys looked very content but also tired.

"Had a good day boys?" Hermione asked blithely as she sat down opposite them at the table. Both of them blushed but grinned from ear to ear and nodded their assent. Ron rolled his eyes and sat down. After transferring Friday's lessons to Harry and Draco, the three boys began to work while Hermione helped them.

Despite the obvious distractions that Harry and Draco were suffering from being in the same room with each other, they managed to finish all of their homework by a reasonable hour. Instead of leaving when they had finished, Hermione sat on one of the sofas and summoned a butterbeer from the cold storage space Dobby had set up.

"Now then," she said as she popped open her drink, "why don't you boys fill us in on what happened at the meeting yesterday." She looked up expectantly at them from the couch. Harry sighed and sat down knowing that neither Ron nor Hermione would leave him alone until they heard. Draco, however, remained standing.

"If you're going to go over that meeting again," he said, bending down to look at Harry, "than I'm going for a walk." Harry nodded and kissed Draco lightly before the blonde stood up and headed for the portrait.

"Oh, before you go," Hermione said suddenly, "You two need to figure out when you're going to tell people. Dean already figured it out and I fuzzed his memory so he thinks he dreamed it, but others are going to figure it out soon too." Harry sighed and Draco looked annoyed by that news.

"We'll talk about it later," the blonde told Harry before waving and heading out the portrait.

"So what happened?" Ron asked after the portrait had shut again.

"Well," Harry said, "Dumbledore hasn't told anyone outside of the school that he's still alive, so there was a huge fuss at the beginning when he walked in."

"He hasn't told anybody?" Hermione asked, "Even the Ministry doesn't know?" Harry shook his head.

"He said that he wanted it that way. He rarely gives reasons for anything, and this time was no exception. Anyway, the entire afternoon was taken up with filling in all the Order members about what happened at the beginning of the year. Then, Dumbledore introduced Draco and I to the Order as new members-"

"You're in the Order?" Ron sounded very jealous and Harry thought that if Ron only knew what an Order meeting was like, he might not be so envious.

"Yeah," Harry said, "Though your mum wasn't too happy about it. She stood up and opposed our induction because we were still in school. Dumbledore pointed out that we were of age, but she still wouldn't let up. Dumbledore decided that it would be put to a special vote after evidence was presented by the people who knew me well. There's no one in the Order that really knows Draco so they were going by the basis that if I was allowed to join, so was he. So Professors Lupin and Moody stood up and talked about my magic capability, and many other people stood up and spoke about me. It was all really embarrassing but in the end it was a fifty-fifty split on whether I should be allowed in or not."

"So if they couldn't decide," Hermione said, "How did you get in?"

"Well you see," Harry continued, now looking at his feet, "Pretty much the teachers in the Order and Ron's brothers were for me joining, and everyone else who knew me that was there was against it. None of the guardians or apprentices had spoken up, but they couldn't really because they weren't part of the Order themselves yet. Dumbledore decided to postpone the decision about Draco and I until a suitable tie breaker presented itself. He moved on to the next round of introductions and each guardian-apprentice pair was accepted to the Order. There was quite a bit of grumbling around the table over each, since nothing was known of them, but the Order seemed willing to take Dumbledore's word on them.

I swear that Dumbledore had planned this all out carefully from the beginning, because the next thing he did was tell the Order that new information had just become available concerning the decision about our membership. There was almost an immediate uproar from those against our inclusion when Professor Thalionore stood up. Dumbledore had to explain that Isil had been privately instructing us for the past two weeks, and therefore had a valid opinion in our case.

I wasn't thrilled with the idea of listening to more descriptions of myself, but Isil kept it short. Basically he spoke about my capabilities just as the other Professors had done. Mrs. Weasley called a vote on the decision when he had finished, but Dumbledore asked Tanya to stand as well. It wasn't until all the guardians and apprentices had spoken that a vote was called. The added fourteen hands on the approval side made it a guaranteed pass and Draco and I were inducted as members."

"If you two can be part of the Order," Ron said, "I don't see why we can't. We're of age too." Harry sighed and Hermione noticed his face assume the sad expression he wore when talking about something painful.

"A big part of the argument that convinced those who didn't know me," Harry said, "was the fact that neither Draco nor I have a legal guardian. Draco's father is incarcerated and his mother is in Voldemort's employ, and my parents were killed and-" he stopped and looked away from his two friends. Two years and he still couldn't bring himself to say the words 'Sirius is dead.'

"So what did they talk about next?" Hermione asked trying to distract Harry from the painful memories.

"Nothing," Harry said apologetically, "we had dinner next." Ron rolled his eyes at how literally Harry had interpreted the question, but Harry continued before Hermione could ask a more specific question. "After dinner, Dumbledore called for reports on Voldemort's activities. It was pretty dull since Voldemort hasn't really been doing anything overt yet. After the reports, Dumbledore stood and spoke briefly about the horcruxes. You remember them right?" Harry waited until both Hermione and Ron had nodded in confirmation before continuing.

"About half the order was reassigned to locating the remaining ones, but they were all told not to touch them. Dumbledore was very adamant that they were only to locate the objects and he warned them that the enchantments surrounding the horcruxes would most likely be either too intricate or too advanced for any one member of the circle to break. As a final warning, he reminded them that even he had needed my help to get through the enchantments in the cave at the end of last year. After giving out assignments, Dumbledore adjourned the meeting. The two of us didn't get out of there for a while because we were cornered for questions. I think almost every member of the Order talked to Draco and nearly everyone asked me if I was being forced into anything."

"You mean the Order knows about you two?" Hermione asked, a little surprised that Draco and Harry had been comfortable in telling the entire Order of the Phoenix about their relationship.

"Well, we didn't tell them," Harry said, starting to look embarrassed again, "it just sort of came up in the recounting of what happened at the beginning of the year. I don't think it was a very popular topic, considering how many people asked me about blackmail and manipulation." Harry shrugged to signify that he didn't really mind that people had asked. He yawned and realized that he was more tired than he had thought.

"You can't be tired already," Ron said, glancing at his watch, "you were in bed till dinner and it's only ten." Harry blushed deeply and nodded apologetically.

"I wasn't exactly resting all day," he said, shuffling his feet a little nervously.

"I thought you said he hadn't left his room," Ron said to Hermione accusingly.

"I didn't," Harry said quickly before Hermione could respond. The sound of the portrait swinging open interrupted them and Draco walked over to the couch. He leaned down and kissed Harry in greeting before hoping over the back of the couch and landing next to his boyfriend with his arm over Harry's shoulders.

"Didn't what?" he asked casually, covering his own yawn with his free hand. Nox settled down on the table and started sniffing at the empty butterbeer bottles.

"Leave the room today," Harry informed him, keeping an eye on Ron to see his reaction. Draco chuckled.

"I'll say you didn't, loverboy," Draco said, leaning over and licking Harry's cheek. Harry blushed red enough to have made Ron proud had the other not been trying to figure out what they meant. He wished that Draco wouldn't torment the red-head but he understood that it was difficult for Draco to make that change, especially when Ron wasn't acting very friendly for his part. At least the Slytherin wasn't insulting Ron anymore.

"Well we'll let you get some sleep then," Hermione said quickly, standing up and dragging Ron after her. "See you tomorrow morning," she called as she headed out the door. Draco and Harry waved and Draco burst out laughing when Ron's shouts filtered back in through the closed portrait. Harry just chuckled at his boyfriend's behavior and stood up and stretched. Draco's hands snaked around his waist and came to rest on his thighs as the blonde stood up behind him.

"I love you, Ree," Draco whispered as he located the mark he had left earlier in the day on Harry's neck and bit down softly again. Harry moaned at the touch of the blonde's tongue.

"I love you too, Drake," Harry said, letting his head fall back on Draco's shoulder. He had come up with the nickname for Draco sometime during the day, and Draco had insisted on coming up with one for Harry too. Harry smiled as he remembered Draco's flat out refusal to call him Hare. Instead, Harry had ended up with the name Ree, and Draco had been using it all day. Draco released his neck and looked over at the Gryffindor.

"What's so funny?" he asked softly.

"Just remembering how you acted earlier," Harry said, turning to face the blonde and wrapping his arms around the other boy, "when I suggested you call me Hare." Draco scowled up at him and Harry couldn't help but grin.

"I thought we'd gone over that already, _Ree_," Draco said, stressing his preferred abbreviation for Harry.

_Ree sounds better._ Both boys looked over to see Nox watching them intently from the table. Draco laughed and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Now you've got him saying it too," Harry said, "not that I mind," he added quickly when Draco opened his mouth, "it's just going to take some getting used to." Draco grinned as Harry finished.

"Well can I call you Ree around others to help you practice?" Draco asked, grinning as Harry glared at him.

"I thought we went over that too," he said. Draco shrugged.

"Remind me," the blonde said, moving his arms up so that they were around Harry's neck. Harry grinned and easily lifted Draco and carried him into the bedroom.

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"Can I ask you a question sir?" Isil turned around to look at Harry. The boy was shuffling nervously from foot to foot. Behind him, Draco was sitting up straight in his seat, also looking highly nervous, the exercise on the desk forgotten. It had been five days since the Order meeting and the three of them were back in the classroom on the first floor due to the thunderstorm that was raging outside. Isil nodded and waited for Harry to work up the nerve to continue.

"Well… we were wondering… that is… the two of us were talking about… well… and…" he trailed off uncertainly. Isil waited another few moments to see if Harry or Draco could get out their question. When neither showed any signs of being able to, Isil sighed.

"You were wondering about the urges to have sex with each other that you have been experiencing," he said calmly. Both boys flushed red and looked down. Draco had moved up to stand next to Harry and both boys were staring at their feet. Isil considered them another moment before speaking again. "Or, you've already satisfied those urges." The boys' blushes deepened and Isil regarded them thoughtfully. "Your question is 'Why did it feel like it wasn't the first time.'" It was a statement not a question, and Harry felt the need to defend their actions.

"Well, to be honest sir, it did feel…" he trailed off because Isil was holding up one hand and rubbing his forehead with the other.

"I don't need to know Harry," their teacher said, "I was merely making an observation. Your question has a perfectly reasonable answer, though I'm afraid to say that it is actually partially my fault." Neither boy looked any more reassured. Isil motioned them to their seats and continued only after they had sat down again.

"You remember the prophecy that was made concerning the four bloodlines?" Isil asked. Both boys nodded their assent. "You still have not been told the entirety of that prophecy, because that is not the nature of this prophecy. That is also part of it, ironically enough, however, the part we are now examining we have talked about once before. Your question has to deal with the part of the prophecy that concerns the relationship of Godric and Salazar. Essentially, the two of you feel that you have loved before because _they_ loved before.

It is necessary to expand our view of the prophecy to the entire terrestrial circle in order to fully understand this. For all the long ages that the terrestrial guardians remained secret from one another, the process of inheriting the mark was very specific. The current guardian would call his chosen heir into their presence alone. The guardian would then inform his heir of the position he had been selected to fill and sign a binding agreement with the future guardian. For seven years, the guardian elect, if you will, would follow the current guardian around and be taught by him. I adopted a similar system with the apprentices of the celestial circle, but since elves never truly die, the apprenticeship never ends.

Seven years to the day from when the agreement was signed, the guardian would pass on the mark to the new bearer. The bearer always received the mark, for if the chosen heir was unworthy for whatever reason, it would have shown up long before the seven year mark. After the mark had been passed, the former guardian lived out the rest of their lives in peace. Most however left whatever town they were living in, and laid down their lives in the wilderness, far from the mortal men they protected.

When I appeared to the apprentices of Godric, Salazar, Rowena, and Helga a little more than a millennium ago, I broke the ancient tradition of apprenticeship. You see, the mark on your arm is merely a physical manifestation of the mark in your soul. In order to seal the mark into a particular bloodline, I had to seal a shadow copy of the previous bearer's soul into the bloodline. In this manner, Godric, Salazar, Rowena, and Helga lived on throughout the ages inside the bearers of the mark."

"So we have two souls?" Draco asked. This wasn't making very much sense to him and he felt as though Isil had strayed from the point of their initial question.

"No," Isil replied, "This brings us back to the prophecy. The general prophecy that applies to all four guardians to be, states that the guardian's mark shall only awaken when borne by one with the same spiritual makeup as the last bearer of the mark. In other words, Harry is an exact spiritual match to Godric, and Draco is an exact match for Salazar."

"So what you're saying," Harry said, "is that I am exactly what Godric Gryffindor looked like and Draco is exactly like Salazar Slytherin?"

"Not precisely," Isil said, waving his hand and setting the chalk in motion on the board behind him, "The spiritual makeup of a person is the way in which that person thinks, feels, and reacts to the world around them. It has nothing to do with physical looks, or in what decisions you make, because your decisions are based on your experiences. It's those experiences that separate you from Godric and Salazar. However, since your spiritual structures are identical, it allowed you to absorb the bound souls into yourselves, thus reintroducing the guardian element into a human soul and awakening the mark. A result of this is that you boys can sense the memories of Godric and Salazar when you are in a situation that they were in."

"So that is why it seemed that… that it… um… it wasn't the first time we'd… you know… had sex…" Harry said, blushing again. Isil nodded and looked back and forth between Harry and Draco. Both boys were obviously very uncomfortable and embarrassed that they had asked the question.

"Why don't you finish up," he suggested, gesturing to the exercise that they had nearly forgotten about on the desk, "and then we'll call it a day." The two boys nodded and went back to the task Isil had assigned them. They were trying to surround a ball of fire with a sphere of water without the water evaporating or the flame being doused. It required both boys to sense the state of the other element at the same time as they were maintaining their own sphere.

Twenty minutes later, they held out a finished sphere for Isilomir to examine. He took it in his hands and let his mind range through the sphere. The boys had done a fairly decent job, but there was still a centimeter of air in-between the fire and the water.

"That's very good for the first try boys," he said smiling up at his students. "That's good enough for today, but for next time you need to work on eliminating the centimeter of air that you have between the elements." Both boys nodded and packed up their notes. "Don't make any plans for Saturday," Isil called to them as they headed out the door, "We're going to take another trip."

"Where do suppose we're going this time, Ree?" Draco asked as they made their way to the great hall. No one else was in sight, so Draco gave Harry a quick kiss before they sat down.

"Who knows, Drake," Harry said grinning at his boyfriend, "but I'm sure it'll be entertaining."

"Of course it will," Draco said smugly, "because I'll be there." Harry laughed and gave Draco a quick kiss back. The last two days of the week went by quickly for the two boys. On Saturday morning they both woke up early and were waiting for Isil at the doors to the castle. He grinned at them as he came up. They were already dressed in winter cloaks and those few students that were out walking that early were giving them strange looks as it was only the middle of September.

"Eager and waiting boys?" Isil asked mildly, grinning at them. They nodded eagerly. "Well you won't need those this time," he said gesturing at their cloaks. As his hand fell back to his side, the winter cloaks disappeared to be replaced by the same clothing that Harry and Draco had worn at the feast. They looked questionably up at the elf and noticed that his normally green tunic and trousers looked newly cleaned and pressed, and his boots looked brand new as well. Gone was the gray dirty cloak that he often wore, and on his brow a silver crown rested.

"Now that we are appropriately attired," Isil said looking towards Hagrid's hut further down the lawns. The boys turned to look as well and were a little disappointed when they saw Hagrid leading a coach drawn by thestrals.

"We're not flying?" Draco asked sounding disappointed.

"Not today," Isil said holding the door open for them. The boys sighed and climbed inside. The carriage took them down through the gates and into the town of Hogsmede. It stopped in front of the Three Broomsticks and Isil got out. There were a bunch of people already waiting on the doorstep and several of them gave Isil and the two boys odd looks as they stepped out of the carriage.

"And just where do you think you two are off to," someone said from behind them. Harry and Draco turned to see Madam Rosmerta standing in the doorway of the tavern eyeing them sternly. "C'mon now you two, back up to the castle or I'll tell Minerva that you've been outside the grounds."

"No need to tell Minerva, Rosmerta," Isilomir said stepping up behind the two students, "These boys are here with me and we have all the necessary permission." Rosmerta glanced up at the elf and her expression changed completely.

"You're that man who came into my tavern a few weeks ago," she said. This statement caused many more heads in the crowd to turn towards Isil. He nodded in response and put a hand on his student's shoulders. "And where are you taking Harry and his friend here?" She apparently didn't recognize Draco in his aqua colored clothes and Draco was in no hurry to remind her either.

"We're taking a trip to the country for the weekend," Isil said, "It's a class related field trip and I'm their chaperone." Rosmerta nodded and was about to ask specifically where they were going but the screeching arrival of the Knight Bus behind them prevented her.

Isil walked on first and brushed right past Stan before the conductor could ask him for any destination or payment. Harry and Draco quickly followed him and shortly after everyone had boarded, Stan approached them slowly.

"Where you goin' dressed like that Harry?" He asked trying to sound cheerful and apparently deciding to speak to Harry rather than either Draco or the very intimidating Isilomir.

"Um, I'm not sure Stan," Harry said, noting that the boy's eyes kept darting to the swords that all three of them were wearing. "Where are we going Professor?" Harry asked, turning to Isil. Isilomir glanced up and handed the waiting conductor a piece of parchment. Stan's eyes bulged out as he read the parchment through. He glanced up at Isilomir and then read the note again.

"Righto," he said still sounding nervous as he pocketed the parchment, "We'll be there momentarily, thanks for riding the Knight Bus…" he trailed off as he turned and headed back for the front. Harry turned to ask Isil what had been written on the parchment, but the elf was now holding out a grey cloak to each of his students.

"Put these on boys," he said as each boy took a cloak, "While our dress is suitable for wizarding society, it tends to attract more attention than is wise when walking around amidst muggles. While we are among the muggles today, you will act as if you are my servants. This means you will have to pass yourselves for elves. Consider it a test of diplomacy if you will." That set the boys thinking. What could they possibly need to do in a muggle town? And why did they have to practice diplomacy? The bus ground to a halt and Isilomir donned his own cloak. The three stepped out of the bus and they found themselves in a very narrow ally. Isilomir led the way to the street, the hood of his cloak raised to shield his face.

"You can keep them down if you wish," Isil said as the boys started to put up their own hoods. They gratefully let the hoods fall back as they stepped out onto a busy London street. It quickly became apparent that people were still paying attention to them, despite the cloaks.

"Um, sir?" Harry said as they moved down the sidewalk, "shouldn't we have dressed like muggles if we didn't want to attract attention?" Isilomir didn't seem to hear him or notice the number of people staring at them; he just continued walking down the street. It was a clear Saturday morning and they were walking towards the royal park. Many families were out already and, as a result, many young children were pointing and staring at them. As they crossed a street, Harry caught sight of a policeman coming towards them.

"Excuse me," the officer said, stopping in front of Isilomir, "may I have a moment of your time?" He gestured to the edge of the sidewalk where they wouldn't be in the way of passerby.

"My time is very valuable," Isilomir said, looking the officer straight in the eye and sounding even more old fashioned than usual, "even a moment is worth more than you could ever offer." He took a step to the side as if to walk past the officer, but the man reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Hey, I wasn't aski-" he stopped short as Isil's movement combined with the officer's hold on the cloak revealed the long sword that Isil was wearing. He dropped the cloak and immediately drew his gun. "Alright, don't move," he said, "Carrying a concealed weapon is against the law here. Put it down and step away from it." Isil just looked at him. Draco felt Nox's inquiry but told the dragon to stay up in the air out of sight.

_Draco, if you would. _Draco blinked as Isil's voice sounded inside his head, but didn't let anything else show on his face. _This would be an excellent opportunity to see how fast your sword has become._ Grinning inwardly to himself, Draco stepped in front of Isilomir, placing himself directly between the gun and the elf.

"Step back lad," the officer said, looking a little unnerved at the fact that a seventeen year old had just willingly interposed himself into a potentially fatal situation. There was now a wide circle around the group and a crowd was quickly gathering. Harry had tensed when Draco had moved but he forced himself to stand calmly just behind Isil and watch.

"You shall not harm Master Thalionore," Draco said calmly, "Nor should you lightly threaten him." The officer looked taken aback but seemed to remember who had the gun.

_A bit of effect if you would Harry,_ Isil told the Gryffindor. Harry gave a mental nod in confirmation and started heating up the ground around them. The people watching them had moved back far enough from the odd standoff to give a dragon ample room to land. Harry smiled as a new idea entered his mind. It was more than a little flash but it would certainly do the trick. He informed Draco of his plan and the corner of the blonde's mouth twitched.

"Move out of the way lad, I'm not going to ask again," the officer repeated. Draco shrugged as if to say, so be it, and stepped back. Harry asked Nox if he was ready, and the dragon told him that a more suitable ride had been arranged. Harry couldn't think of anything more suitable than a dragon but he didn't have time to think about it.

"Now, put down the sword," the officer repeated, "or I'll be forced to open fire."

"With what?" Draco asked calmly.

"Are you blind?" the officer asked, giving Draco a questioning look, "With this." He jerked the gun for emphasis and there was a sheering sound as the barrel of the man's pistol slid off in three places and hit the pavement with a series of clangs. Two more officers came running out of the crowd, drawing their pistols to support the disarmed policeman. As they reached the group, Harry released the air he had been heating near the ground and used it to carry the gray cloaks off of their shoulders.

"Drop your weapons!" the first officer said again, seeing the swords that the boys were carrying too. Isilomir looked amused at Harry's choice of effect and placed his hand on each of the boys' shoulders.

"If you gentlemen would allow us to pass," he said calmly, "my young friends here won't have to practice anymore. However, if you persist in delaying us, I'm afraid I will have to remove you by force." There was a sound of sirens and more and more officers were pushing through the crowd to get to them. There was a new shouting from behind the officers and one of the new arrivals twitched, his gun firing straight at Isil's chest.

The first officer blinked, not quite believing what he was seeing in front of him. The two teenagers on either side of the strange man had transformed into something straight out of a comic book. The one on the left was completely engulfed in flames, but he didn't appear to be in pain and his clothes were not being burned. The one on the right seemed to be made of water and the boy and his clothes were transparent. Both boys had blocked the shot that had been fired, their swords crossed in front of the man's chest. Behind the man stood a brilliant silver horse that was glowering at the officers menacingly, looking almost more threatening than the two boys.

"You dared," Harry said, his voice reverberating off of the buildings, "to try and harm our master? The other officers raised their guns again but at that point several security officers in black suits burst into the circle.

"Stand down," they said to the officers as the man in charge slowly approached Isilomir with his palms facing out. "Ambassador, her majesty thought you were running late and assumed that something had delayed you." Isilomir nodded politely to the man.

"One of your local lawmen decided to waylay me," he said, still sounding very aloof and old fashioned, "I'm afraid I was attacked and my two companions felt the need to protect me," he told the man as the security agent took in Harry and Draco. "If you would be so kind as to escort us to her majesty, than I'm sure these boys will have cooled off by the time we arrive." The agent nodded and gestured to his team. Four of them assumed an escort formation around the group and the leader led them off.

A large crowd followed them all the way to the park and Harry spotted several video cameras dodging in and out of the press of people, but Isil's estimation of the time it would take Harry and Draco to cool off was quite accurate. They had just turned back to normal, relieved that the clothes they were wearing had changed with them, when they reached the royal park. The security guards led them to an awning and, as they approached, Harry felt his face turn red with embarrassment when he saw the Queen and the Prime Minister sitting there.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister," the guard said, "The ambassador from Silanost has arrived, his Majesty Isilomir Thalionore." The Queen nodded and the Prime Minister stood and shook Isil's hand. The three exchanged pleasantries and Harry was very self-conscious when Isil introduced him as Nar. The horse, which Harry could only assume was Celeb and could therefore understand why Nox had said a more suitable ride was coming, calmly grazed on the grass nearby.

Harry and Draco sat very still on either side of Isil throughout the meeting. Isil apologized for the location he had chosen, but the Queen waved it off and they were soon discussing political matters. Harry tried to pay attention to the conversation but Draco kept making silly comments via Nox and Harry couldn't help but respond. As the meeting wore down, the Queen thanked Isil for coming and thanked both of the boys for being so patient. She wished them well and then allowed herself to be escorted to the waiting car. The Prime Minister also wished them a safe return journey before taking his leave.

"She acted like we'd never seen London before," Draco said, stretching.

"Her majesty thought you were elves," Isilomir said, "You were quite well behaved, at least, outwardly." He grinned at the two students. They grinned back at him, having supposed correctly that he could hear their silent exchange throughout the meeting.

"Is that Celeb?" Harry asked, pointing to where the horse was grazing.

"Yes," Isil said, "He is the lord of one of Orome's herds, and he agreed to help me here on these shores. That is actually part of what we'll be doing this weekend, but for now, we'll have lunch." He sat down on the grass and closed his eyes for a moment. As the two boys arranged themselves comfortably, a flight of dragons appeared bearing a large basket between them. Isil thanked them and they disappeared again. He opened the basket and waved his hand, causing the contents to set up neatly on the grass between them.

It was a very extravagant meal, and Isilomir seemed happy to share with all manner of birds and beasts. Nox came down and ate so much that he ended up flat on his back, his gorged stomach rising and falling slowly as he slept. Isil was chatting with a squirrel and a dog that had wandered over, when a frightened 'eep' sounded from behind Harry. There was a great deal of surprised shouts and crashing and Harry turned to see what was going on.

The sight before him was so funny that he burst out laughing. His cousin Dudley was just getting up, dusting off a leather jacket with very irritated gestures, and ranged behind him was his entire gang. They all looked a little confused and Harry could imagine what Dudley had looked like when he had come around the path and seen his least favorite person sitting on the ground. Harry swiveled the rest of his body around slowly and leaned back against Draco who had also turned around at the sound of the shouts.

"Why hullo Duddykins," Harry said cheerfully, "Won't you come join us? We were just enjoying this delicious picnic." Harry grinned as the effect on Dudley was immediately apparent. His love of food was warring with his fear of Harry and anything related to him. That in turn was fighting with his need to remain the tough leader of his little gang. His eyes flicked nervously over Harry and Draco where they were resting against each other, to the man apparently taking part in a serious conversation with a squirrel and a dog, to the horse grazing a few feet away.

"What are you doing here?" he asked accusingly, having apparently decided that being confrontational was the best way to salvage his reputation and maybe still end up with the food. "Didn't you get kicked out in June?" He was grinning now, apparently thinking that Harry was now homeless.

"Well you see, Duddykins," Harry said, still using Aunt Petunia's pet name for his cousin, "London isn't your mum's house, so I didn't really get kicked out of _here._ Actually, I happen to live in the city now," he added that almost as an afterthought. "As to what I'm doing here? Well I'm having lunch." He grinned up at the gang, his expression completely at odds with the cautious stare that Draco was favoring them with. Isilomir was still ignoring the entire group and was now chattering animatedly to the squirrel who in turn was patiently listening to him, while the dog woofed comments.

"Why aren't you in school? Did you escape through the bars?" Dudley asked, trying to sound taunting, "Maybe we should help out the police and beat you up so you can get sent back." The gang laughed at that. Dudley had apparently stuck to the lie that his parents had crafted concerning Harry's schooling.

"Yeah," one of the gang members said, "he's only a lone criminal. He should go down easy." The gang laughed again, several of them cracking their knuckles.

"He's hardly alone," Draco said nonchalantly. The gang seemed to see him for the first time.

"Who are you?" one of them sneered, "His boyfriend?" several of the boys snickered at that.

"Actually yes," said Draco, his eyes narrowing as he examined the group. They stopped laughing and stared as Draco leaned down slightly and licked the side of Harry's face possessively like a cat, his eyes never leaving the group of boys standing in front of them.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Harry asked sounding bored, "Because you're messing up the view." The boys didn't seem to hear them. It seemed as if they had finally realized that the three figures on the ground were dressed completely differently from normal people.

"They're only two guys," Dudley said, trying to sound confident. A series of 'yeahs' and another round of knuckle cracking followed this statement and the group started to advance.

"Professor," Harry called out over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off of the advancing teens, "do we have permission to teach these boys a thing or two about fist fighting?" Some of the group seemed to hesitate when Harry said the word 'professor.'

"Only if you leave your swords on the ground boys," Isil said glancing up briefly from the squirrel. He nodded politely to the group of teens before turning his attention back to the chattering animal. There was another slight hesitation at the mention of swords, but the group kept coming. Harry and Draco unclipped the scabbards from their belts and stood.

"It would be a shame if we ruined the picnic Ree," Draco said.

"Let's not let anything happen behind us then Drake," Harry said, "I wouldn't come closer," Harry added, addressing the gang. They laughed at him and took another step. One of them cried out in disgust, having just stepped in a pile of horse droppings. "I warned you," Harry said shaking his head.

The two Hogwart's students didn't give the boys any more warnings. Harry launched himself into his cousin's chest, causing the heavy Dudley to stumble backwards, surprised at the force of the thin boy. Harry lashed out with a fist and a foot in two different directions, taking out the two gang members on either side of Dudley. As another boy came at him from the side, trying to catch him while off-balance, Harry jumped up, using hot air to give himself another boost, and the boy went sailing under him just as Draco landed on another gang member's chest.

The fight was over in a matter of seconds. Dudley had tried to grab Harry around the middle, but had let go yelling in pain as his hands were burned. Harry and Draco surveyed their work, grinning at how good it had felt.

"Well boys," Isil said, "If you're done messing around with the locals, we have a train to catch." The boys turned around and saw that Isil was on his feat, and the picnic and Celeb had vanished. Draco collected the still sleeping Nox from the ground and the two students grabbed their swords and cloaks and followed Isil.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked eagerly as he fastened his cloak at his throat.

"That, Harry, can be answered in one word," Isil said. Harry and Draco waited patiently for the elf to continue.

"And what word is that?" Draco asked when Isil seemed to have become lost in thought again. The elf glanced over his shoulder and responded.

"West."

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Okay, now I need you all to be honest with me. I really wasn't sure about the policemen scene on the street, so let me know if you thought it worked or just didn't for whatever reason. With that said, I bid you all adieu and, with any luck, I'll get the next chapter posted before Christmas. Till next time folks. Ciao.


	23. Chapter 22

I'M BACK! Ok I got that out of my system. Now, it's looking like I've actually gained four hours of writing time the way my classes are set up this semester so I'll definitely be getting back to my weekly posts. With that said, I guess it'll be a testament to you guys if any of my old readers are still checking up on me after a month of inactivity :). Anyway here's a nice long chapter for you all. Hope you are still reading and don't forget to review. 

**Jujube15 –** So your computer is to blame… I'll send my server bunnies over to have a talk with it lol. Anyway enjoy the chapter.

**Draeconin** – I did some checking and found that yes indeed, British police don't carry firearms… So I'm either going to entirely rewrite the chapter at some later date… or I'll just leave it and chalk it up to being an overtired and under-informed semi-intelligent being. And don't you worry about Dudley's reaction; I'm far from through with that little bit of fun. Thanks for catching me once again and enjoy.

**DestinyEntwinements –** Yeah I know it's a lot. Thanks for bearing with me :).

**mis-HD** – yay for LTR-FTRs The reason the cop stopped them was cause he was a noob thinking he'd get brownie points for stopping a suspicious individual. I'm gonna rework the scene a bit to make it clearer before I repost after I finish this mess Thanks for reviewing and enjoy.

**solobusn** – I was hoping someone would ask that cause there was no convenient way to say it in the story as of yet. Basically the MoM (Ministry of Magic for those of you who don't like acronyms) can only detect magic done by wizards. AKA magic done with a wand. The elemental and draconic "magic" that the elves, and by extension Harry and Draco, use does not fall under this category and therefore the MoM was not notified hence no obliviation. And yes, I realize that was a long-winded explanation lol. Enjoy.

**Suteneko01** – Well kudos for me then :). I'm glad you find Isil's… tendencies amusing. I've been told you can learn quite a lot from dogs and squirrels… anyway I'm writing as promised so you don't have to hunt me down. Have fun with this chapter too.

**hatetoluvyou91** – Well I did write more, so you do have something to read lol. Enjoy.

**1stkitty** – I love getting new reviewers. And this one was so helpful cause I was only about half way through this chapter when it came in. So anyway here you go and enjoy.

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**Chapter 22**

"_We will be arriving in Bristol shortly. All passengers disembarking please gather you're luggage. This railway is not responsible…"_

The slightly metallic voice of the train's speaker's roused Harry from his nap. He sat up, his movement causing Draco to turn around.

"Awake?" his boyfriend asked with a grin. Harry smiled and kissed Draco lightly.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked.

"About an hour," Isil said from the other side of the cabin, "Better get ready boys, this is our stop." Harry looked up at the digital ticker above the door that was scrolling the name of the station for the occupants of the private ambassador's cabin.

"What are we doing in Bristol?" Harry asked as he arranged his cloak on his shoulders.

"We're catching a boat," Isil told them, "This is as close to home as the muggle train runs, and it also happens to be on the coast." Harry was about to ask where home was, but there was a polite knock on the door. Draco immediately moved to the floor at Isil's feet and Harry stood and opened the door.

"Mr. Ambassador," a very nervous looking conductor was standing in the doorway, his hat in his hand, "I came to inform you that we are coming up on your destination." The man's eyes flicked to the stern expression on Harry's face to the form of Draco sitting on the floor. "I apologize if I interrupted you…"

"Thank you for notifying me," Isilomir said, once more sounding very noble and old fashioned, "My companions and I will be ready." The conductor nodded and gave Harry and Draco one last look before moving down the corridor.

"That's strange," said Draco once Harry had closed the door and they had reclaimed their seats, "it seemed to me like he recognized us." Harry shrugged and the train slowed to a stop at the station. The two boys followed Isil out of the car, and they proceeded out to the street in front of the station. Like at all modern nodes of travel, there was a long line of taxi cabs waiting outside the station. It was about mid afternoon now, and there weren't many travelers coming off the train.

"That one you think?" Isil asked the two boys, pointing at one of the cabs in the line.

"There isn't a car waiting for us?" Harry asked, "Usually ambassadors are ferried around by the government."

"I declined the offer," Isilomir said with a grin, "After all, I have you two to help me get around." Harry wasn't quite sure about that. He was willing to bet that Draco knew as little about muggle transportation as Isilomir himself, and he wasn't very much better at picking out trustworthy taxi cabs. The cab that Isil had selected looked innocent enough, so the three of them made their way over to it. The driver was leaning against the driver side door and eyed them up and down as they approached.

"My good man," Isil said to the driver as they approached, "I am commandeering your services for a short while. We are in need of transportation to the harbor." The cab driver immediately looked defensive at Isil's choice of words but Harry quickly intervened.

"Master," he said with a sympathetic smile at the cabbie, "you don't commandeer transportation here." Isilomir managed to look surprised at that but Harry continued before he could interrupt. "You have to ask the er…" Harry paused trying to come up with the proper medieval equivalent for cab driver so that he wouldn't break character.

"Coachman," Draco supplied from Isil's other side.

"Right, you have to ask the coachmen for permission to use his coach before you can get in," Harry finished. He smiled again at the taxi driver, who was looking very nonplussed with his potential passengers.

"Ah, forgive me good coachman," Isil said, once more addressing the driver, "I am unused to customs in this land. May we have the use of your services to take us to the harbor?"

"That'll be ten pounds," the man said gruffly, opening his door. Isil looked confused.

"Pounds are the money here," Harry supplied and then added, "Her Majesty informed you of the exchange rate between our currencies." Isil's face lit up as he appeared to remember that fact while the cab driver's face became clouded and worried. Isil counted out ten bills from the stack he had in his pocket and handed them to the driver. They climbed into the back of the cab and sped off towards the dock. Harry was wondering how much longer they could keep up this rouse of being naïve foreigners when they pulled up to the harbor master's office. Isil thanked the driver, who gave them all another look before speeding off, and led the way past the building and onto the docks.

"There she is," Isil said pointing along one of the piers. The two boys followed his finger and saw one of the gray ships they had seen at dock in Silanost gliding towards the docks.

"Excuse me, this area is off limits," a trim security guard said as he approached, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Isilomir waved his hand dismissively.

"That's ok lawman," he said, "that is my ship coming into port now." The officer looked over his shoulder at the approaching boat and then gave the three people in front of him another look.

"Yes, well," he said, "there are procedures to follow. If you'll come with me, you can sort out the paperwork with the harbor master." Isilomir nodded politely and gestured for the guard to precede him. As they entered the building, Harry noticed the television in the corner was showing the news. He was startled to see that the story being reported was the run in they had had with London police earlier that day. He gave Draco a mental nudge and subtly jerked his head towards the television. Draco seemed more interested in the actual television set than in what it was showing though.

"This fellow here says he has a ship coming into dock," the guard told the desk attendant. The woman behind the desk nodded at the guard and then looked over at Isil and the boys. She stiffened and Harry saw her eyes flick to the television behind them.

"What is the name of the boat?" she asked courteously, drawing a file folder across her desk and opening it.

"Ship," Isil corrected her, "my ship is called Lotholoma." The woman sifted through the file and finally extracted a sheet of paper.

"It says here you are taking on passengers," she said looking at the sheet, "I'll need their personal information and passports, since your ship is registered in another country."

"The passengers are me, and my two companions here," Isil said gesturing to Harry and Draco. The woman appeared confused. She obviously thought that Isil was the captain of the ship.

"Well, I'll need your information and passports then," the woman said, trying to regain her official air.

"I am Isilomir Thalionore" Isil told the woman, "The two boys here are my attendants, Nen and Nar." He waited to make sure the woman had spelled the names right, and then turned and headed for the door.

"Sir," the woman called, "I still need to see your passports."

"Ah, yes," Isil said returning to the desk, "I know it's here somewhere," he said as he reached inside his cloak. The woman appeared relieved that he had a passport and Harry felt the same way. "Here we are," Isil said, pulling out a stack of parchment about two inches thick. The woman's face fell as she saw it. Isil rifled through the pages and pulled out three sheets of parchment and handed them to the woman.

Harry could see that there was a sketch on each piece of parchment of each of the three of them, dressed in the clothes they were currently wearing. The woman scanned down the sheets several times and finally picked up her pen.

"I just need to… um… confirm your information," she said at last, still staring in confusion at the parchment on her desk. "It says here that you were authorized to undertake an ambassadorial trip to the country of England by yourself… is this correct?"

"Yes," Isil said, "I am the king of my country. I have the power to issue such an authorization." The woman nodded vaguely and continued on.

"You were also authorized to bring along your two attendants, Nen," and she looked up at Draco who bowed when addressed, "and Nar," she glanced over at Harry who also bowed to her. She glanced down at the sheet that had Harry's portrait on it and Harry immediately saw why she was double checking. The picture on the parchment did not have glasses.

"Did you find that you needed glasses during your visit?" she asked Harry directly. Harry managed to look highly embarrassed about being addressed directly and looked up at Isil for permission to answer the question. Isilomir gave him a stern look that told him to keep quiet and spoke himself.

"Where we come from, kind lady," he said causing the clerk's eyes to shift back to him, "It is highly embarrassing and rude for one to address another's servants directly. I shall have to administer a swift beating once we are aboard the boat." Harry looked downcast and fell to his knees in appropriate supplication. It was a good thing he did too cause he couldn't help letting a smile spread over his face as Isil described his punishment to the clerk.

"To answer your question, inappropriate though it was," Isil said to the now mortified looking clerk, "Nar saw that trinket on display in London, and respectfully requested them in lieu of this month's wages." The clerk looked even more horrified and it was all Harry could do to keep from bursting out laughing. The poor woman thought that she had not only earned him a night of beating but also ruined the one thing that Harry had thought worth a month's pay.

"I apologize for what I said," the woman made sure she was speaking directly to Isil and was now pretending as if neither Draco, nor the curled up form of Harry on the ground, existed, "Please don't be too hard on him." Isilomir seemed to consider it, and the woman handed him back the papers, "everything is in order here, I hope you enjoyed your stay in England." Isil nodded his thanks and then turned around sharply. He reached into his cloak and withdrew a golden collar and chain that Harry was almost certain he had just conjured into existence, and reached down and fastened the collar around Harry's neck and told him to stay still. Harry did not even look up as he floated a mere centimeter off the floor.

"Come, Nen," Isil said sharply, and with one more infuriated glare at the desk clerk, he apparently dragged the still groveling Harry out of the office. The security guard made a move to stop them but the desk clerk ran over and explained what had happened. The guard didn't look happy about letting a teenager be dragged around by the neck, but Isil was already boarding his ship, and so was technically no longer on English soil. The elves gave dark looks towards the humans who were watching when they saw the manner in which Harry was being dragged. Isil spoke sharply to one of the elves on deck before descending into the cabin. The elf stiffened and then leaped ashore and approached the clerk.

"I came to inform you, my lady," the elf said formally, his English heavily accented, "That I will be whipped on account of the faults you found with my drawing, and the subsequent question that led to Master Nar's forthcoming beating." There was a loud thumping and crashing sound from the ship and the lady recoiled and the elf closed his eyes. "Farewell, my lady. Pray for my survival, and if not that, for my swift passage to the western shores." The elf ran back to the boat and leaped onto the prow, for the sailors had already begun to pull away from the dock. He turned and gave another sad wave as more crashing sounded from within the ship.

"That poor child," the clerk said as the ship disappeared.

On the boat itself, Turin, who had been the elf that had spoken so somberly with the clerk, knocked on the hatch to signal that they were out of sight of the dock. Isilomir, Draco, and a perfectly healthy and uninjured Harry walked out onto the deck. He grinned at Isilomir and then burst out laughing.

"You should have seen the look on that woman's face!" Turin said, doubling up with laughter. Isilomir grinned.

"I'm sure it was well worth the effort that we put up for it," he said.

"Why did we do that?" Harry asked. It had been funny, he admitted to himself, to make the woman so distressed but his conscience was now catching up with him. Turin grinned and threw his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"Any human worth their salt in this world should know two important facts," the man said, still grinning from ear to ear. "The first is that elves don't keep servants, or attendants. Each elf does his own work, and trades what he does for what other's do that he needs. The second is that elves don't attack other elves, even as a disciplinary action." He shrugged. "If they don't know that, it's their own fault they were deceived." Harry wasn't so sure that followed, but he nodded anyway. As Turin wandered off and left Draco and Harry alone to enjoy the journey, Harry figured the joke they had played on the woman probably had something to do with being stuck in paradise for a few millennia.

Neither Harry nor Draco had been on a sailboat before, much less a ship of the kind they now rode. The entire ship was made of gray wood and the prow was shaped in the manner of a swan's head, with the wings sweeping back to form the sides. It had one square sail in the center, much like the triremes that Harry remembered reading about before he went to Hogwarts, and even when the wind seemed to be blowing straight at them, the sail was always full. The elves that sailed the magnificent ship were quite happy to have passengers, and some of them attempted to teach Harry and Draco some of their songs. After the first few attempts though, the boys laughingly admitted defeat and settled in to enjoy the ride and the singing of the elves. As night fell, the sailors quieted down and Turin came up onto the prow to sit next to the two boys.

"She's beautiful isn't she," he remarked, looking west towards the setting sun.

"Who is?" Draco asked lazily. He was resting against Harry and was enjoying the sunset through half lidded eyes. Harry found that he could look directly at the sun and he didn't even get an afterimage.

"Laurelin's last fruit," Turin said nodding at the sunset, "and her pilot, Arien, maiden of fire." He opened his mouth and began to sing.

_ Oh sweet maiden, maia divine,  
Let thy sweet gold rays shine,  
On hill and dale throughout the day,  
Until at last, go home to stay,  
And journey through the Doors of Night,  
Guided through darkness by your light,  
To the Doors of Morn, to your bright hall,  
Waiting to hear the trumpet's call.  
Ready to rise again in the east,  
Bringing light to birds and beasts.  
And ever we shall look for you,  
The hope of men that shall be true.  
Good night, fair Arien, rest ye well.  
Until your rising time, farewell._

"That's a beautiful lullaby Turin," Draco said contentedly. Turin grinned at the blonde and then swiveled around to face the east.

"Look this way now boys," he said sounding excited, "This is one of those rare nights on which Tilion is following the rules of old." Harry and Draco turned around curiously. As the last rays of the sun left the sail, Turin pointed at the eastern horizon. "There he is," the elf said. Draco sat up to get a better look and the boys saw the top edge of the full moon start to rise over the horizon. It was a beautifully clear night, and as the large silver disk began to rise higher, Turin began singing again.

_ Oh hark, Oh hark, Oh hearken here,  
And see the light that elves revere,  
This light that shown so long ago,  
In depths of clear deep Mirrormere  
Raise up your horns, your goblets fill,  
And toast the one who journeys still,  
On silver flower of Silpion's death,  
When trees Ungoliant failed to kill.  
Now dance ye here on meadows green,  
And dance upon the waves unseen,  
All elves now dance beneath the stars,  
And bask now in the silvery sheen._

Something landed on Draco's shoulder as Turin finished the energetic little song, and Draco saw that it was Harry's head. The other boy was breathing softly, his hands hanging loosely over Draco's shoulders. Draco grinned as he slipped out from Harry's embrace and gathered the sleeping Gryffindor into his arms.

"I thought that might put him to sleep," Turin said softly as he wrapped a blanket around Draco's shoulders. "You can sleep up here tonight," he went on, "we should reach our destination sometime tonight but Isilomir will undoubtedly want to wait till morning to begin." He walked off before Draco got a chance to ask what they would be doing or where they were going to do it. He sighed at the secretiveness of the elves and leaned back against the railing of the ship.

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Harry found himself in a shadowy room that seemed to have no end to it. He peered around trying to see if there was anything else there, or where he was exactly. As he strained to see through the gloom, he felt something behind him. He turned and saw a pale white face that he was all too familiar with. The cold hands reached out and cupped his face, the long white fingers curving around his cheeks. From somewhere, the thought that this was it, this was the life or death struggle that had been spoken of in Professor Trelawny's Prophecy, entered Harry's mind and he reached out with his own hands and seized his enemy's neck. The red eyes staring at him from their sunken sockets bulged in anger and the fingers began stroking his face. Harry squeezed harder, not wanting to give the dark lord any air to speak an incantation.

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Draco opened his eyes as he felt Harry move in his lap. He had been resting against the railing of the ship when the Gryffindor's movements had roused him. The dark haired boy was sitting up straight and looking around, as if trying to see something that was hidden.

"Ree?" Draco asked, stretching a hand out to the boy. Harry turned at the sound of his name, and starred vividly at Draco. _No,_ Draco realized, _his eyes are closed. He's just dreaming._ Draco smiled at his boyfriend and put his hands on either side of Harry's face. "Wake up, Ree." He said softly. He was surprised when Harry didn't wake up, but rather reached out and viciously clamped his hands on Draco's neck. Draco was so surprised that he didn't let go of Harry's face, nor did he cry out for help. He couldn't imagine what Harry was dreaming, and his wits deserted him as the weight of the other boy and the lack of air forced him down onto his back on the deck. Nox began chittering nervously around Harry's head, not quite sure what to do. "Ree… wha… a… you…" Draco tried to gasp, but Harry was restricting his air supply so completely that barely any sound was made at all. He tried to stroke Harry's face to tell him who it was he was strangling, but Harry just squeezed all the more tightly.

Turin was coming up on deck for some air and heard Nox's distressed chirping from the bow. He looked over and saw the strange scene up on the deck. With a shout of alarm he launched himself at Harry, intending to knock the boy off of Draco. Harry was apparently not quite as asleep as his closed eyes suggested, because as Turin leaped towards him, he lashed out with a backhanded fist and sent the elf crashing into the swan's head at the front of the ship. He had never released Draco's neck the entire time and returned both hands to the task of strangling the blonde.

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Harry felt triumph surge through him as Lord Voldemort fell backwards. Harry didn't let go though, he wanted to be absolutely certain that Voldemort was dead. As the Dark Lord's mouth moved soundlessly, Harry heard a shout and saw a shadowy figure hurtling towards him. Knowing that it must be one of Voldemort's Death Eaters trying to save their master, Harry took one hand off of Voldemort's throat and sent the Death Eater flying into one of the columns in the room with a satisfying crash. With that threat to his success dealt with, Harry returned both of his hands to the man in front of him.

Just as he saw Voldemort's eyelids flutter, and the red eyes roll up into the man's head, the Death Eater he thought he had dealt with collided with his back, sending him flying out into the hall. Infuriated at being interrupted, Harry reached out and caught one of the columns, swinging around it and catapulting himself back at the Death Eater. As he flew through the air, Harry could see the white form of Voldemort still clawing at his neck, as if there were still hands pressed there.

As Harry flew towards the Dark Lord, another Death Eater rose up in front of him and seized him by the front of his shirt. The new Death Eater threw him backwards into the waiting hands of the crowd below. They bound his hands behind his back, but he continued to struggle towards the prostrate form of the Dark Lord. The new Death Eater crouched down by Voldemort's side, blocking Harry's view of what was happening.

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As Draco's vision darkened, and he desperately tried to wake Harry, Turin came flying out of nowhere and sent Harry flying towards the stern of the ship. The elf was apparently built of stronger stuff than he looked at first glance. As Harry went flying towards the stern, the boy reached out and caught the mast, swinging around it and flying back towards Turin. The elf readied himself to catch the two footed blow Harry was about to deliver, when Isilomir rose up in front of him and seized the front of Harry's shirt on his way by. With apparently no effort at all, Isil reversed Harry's direction and tossed him into the waiting arms of the elves on deck.

Draco, meanwhile, had felt fingers once again close on his neck. There was hissing laughter in his ears as he pawed at his neck, trying to find the hands that were clamped so firmly there. The cold fingers squeezed tighter, and Draco felt the cold envelop his body. As his vision started to darken again he saw Isil kneel down beside him. He felt the elf's hand press gently against his neck, then saw the small dagger in Isil's other hand.

"This might hurt a bit Draco," Isil said kindly as he pressed the flat of the blade to the side of the blonde's neck. The voice laughed in Draco's ear.

"The fool cannot cut me," it hissed, "He will only speed you to your grave." Draco felt the tip of the dagger dig into his skin. He tried to call out that it wasn't working but he couldn't get the air into his throat. He felt the knife pierce his skin and then it stopped. He looked over at Isil and noticed that the man had his own thumb pressed to the blade. A trickle of silver ran down the knife and Draco felt it pass through the wound in his neck and flow down into him. It immediately became easier to breath and Isil supported him as he gasped and coughed, welcoming the renewed flow of air to his starved lungs.

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Harry struggled in the arms of his captors and managed to drag them into a position where he could see what went on up on the platform above. He saw the Death Eater who had caught him place a hand to Voldemort's neck. He also saw the small dagger that the man held out and watched, morbidly fascinated, as the Death Eater allowed his own blood to flow into Voldemort's body. As the figure of the Dark Lord seemed to regain his breath Harry's vision grew darker, until finally, he blacked out completely.

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"My lord," an elf said, coming up to stand at attention before Isil, "the Lord Gryffindor has gone limp and we cannot wake him." Isil looked up from Draco at the elf, then looked thoughtfully at the moon high overhead.

"So," he said after a while, "Riddle meant for me to make a choice. Spare one and damn the other. Let's not play to his tune shall we?" Isil grinned at the elf, who looked just about as confused as Draco felt. "We're close enough to our destination, Captain," Isil said, "drop anchor and make ready to go ashore." The elf saluted and turned to give orders. "Just rest Draco," Isil said to the Slytherin, "there is no need to strain." Draco gratefully sank back to the deck and concentrated on breathing.

There was much creaking and clanking as the anchor was dropped and the boats loaded to be rowed ashore. Draco was glad that Isil was willing to carry him because he wasn't quite sure if his legs could support him at the moment. The limp form of Harry was wrapped in a blanket and Draco noticed that sweat was pouring off of the other boy.

"He'll be alright," Isil said gently, having followed Draco's gaze with his own, "you'll bring him back safely." Draco wanted to ask what Isil meant by that, but he couldn't muster the strength to speak. He contented himself with watching the stars overhead as the sailors rowed them ashore.

As Isil carried him up the gently sloping beach, Draco could make out an irregular shape in front of them. It appeared to be perfect half sphere sticking up out of the earth. The closer they got, the more evident it became that there were people already hard at work here. An elf materialized out of the darkness and approached them. Draco was surprised to see Turin wiping dirt off his hands. It had been the dark haired elf that had lowered Draco into the dinghy and Draco hadn't seen him board afterwards.

"You're right on time, my Lord," Turin said with a bit of a grin, "It took us the full four hours, but we're just about finished." Isil nodded and then whispered something unintelligible to Vin on his shoulder. The dragon cheeped and launched himself into the air before disappearing.

"Light it," Isil ordered, motioning to the two elves behind him that were carrying Harry to follow him. Turin called up to the elves on top of the structure and they waved in assent. Turin then spoke to his dragon and the little beast flew up to where the elves had been standing and sent a burst of flame into the top of the dome. The sudden light from the fire dazzled Draco's eyes for a moment, but when his vision cleared he could see that the dome wasn't actually a closed structure. The roof seemed to be made of several intertwined vines, with large gaps that let the light of the fire shine out. He also noticed that half of the structure was not filled with fire at all. Rather the fire light shown through the water it contained and made rippling, dancing patterns on the grass at their feet.

"Now then Draco," Isil said moving towards the watery half of the structure and setting Draco down in front of it, "When you find Harry, have him drink this." He pressed a vial of a thick silvery liquid into Draco's hand. "If Harry desires it greatly enough, he will find his way back."

"What do you mean find him?" Draco asked, too tired to decipher Isil's cryptic statements, "Find his way back from where?"

"You will see," Isil said, "Have Harry drink that and then give him as much hope and faith as you can." Draco opened his mouth to say something else but Isil held up a hand. "Sleep now, silver dragon," Isil said putting a hand on Draco's chest, "Go and find your love." Isil shoved gently with his hand and Draco felt himself pass through the mesh of vines and into the water. His eyes immediately felt heavy and, before he even had time to consider how he was going to breathe, he slipped into dreams.

Isil watched as Draco's body relaxed and floated to the center of the hemisphere of water. "Put him in," he said softly. The two elves carrying Harry stepped up to the firey side of the sphere and slipped the wrapped form through a gap in the vines. The blanket immediately burned to ash, but Harry floated to the center, just as Draco had done.

"Now all we can do," Isilomir said somberly, "is wait."

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Harry was running. He didn't know from what, but he knew he didn't want to get caught. He was surrounded on all sides by green flames, licking at his heals. He ran further. He ran and ran until he tripped over something that let out a cry of pain. Harry spun around to look at what it was and backed quickly away in horror.

"Help… me… Ree…" the bloody figure of Draco said crawling towards him. There were throwing knives, kunai Draco had called them, sticking out of the boys joints. "Please… don't… abandon me… to… her."

Harry looked up as another figure came out of the flames. Tanya was walking towards them, carrying more kunai. "Now look at this," she said glancing back and forth between the two boys. "Draco, can you believe that Harry let you end up like this?" She tossed one of the knives to the skewered boy who caught it easily as he stood up. "You should help me punish him," she said, grinning at the Gryffindor. Harry stumbled backwards as both figures drew their arms back.

Harry closed his eyes and covered his head as they threw the knives towards him. He felt the blades hit him where he was cowering on the floor. "STOP!" he screamed at them as wave after wave of daggers hit his body. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS!" he screeched, tearing his throat raw. He was surprised to find that they had stopped. He slowly opened his eyes, fearing he'd look like a pin cushion. He was surprised to find that there wasn't a single knife sticking out of him. He spun around as a rock hit him in the back.

"C'mon Harry," Menon said, tossing a rock up and down in his hand, "Dodge them." Harry didn't know what happened next but his body refused to move as Menon hurled rock after rock. He looked to either side to see what was holding him down and was met with the malicious stares of Tanya and Draco.

"Go on love," Draco said from his right, "dodge them." Both he and Tanya cackled maniacally at him as rock after rock slammed into his chest. Over the laughter and the dull thudding of rocks as they slammed into him, a new sound reached Harry's ears. Footsteps were approaching. Footsteps so fast that he could barely distinguish one from the next.

Harry craned his head around to see what was rushing at him from behind, but all he saw was a quick flash of metal and a black blur before a torrent of blood sprouted from the already mutilated Draco's back. The dying blonde screamed in agony as he fell, his back nearly sliced all the way through and still spraying blood over apparently invisible walls in front of the flames. Harry felt himself thrown to the floor and looked up to see what had happened to Tanya. The girl was staring avidly towards Menon and Harry followed her gaze.

At first, he couldn't tell what was different. Then the figure of Menon split into two halves in a clean cut, again painting the invisible walls in blood. Now, through the space between the falling halves, Harry could see the robed form of Draco, sword at the ready facing Tanya with nothing but cold murder in his swirling gray eyes. Tanya smiled evilly and raised her daggers. Draco didn't as much move to avoid them, it was more like he disappeared and reappeared at a new location.

"You are no where near as fast as my teacher," Draco said dismissively, his voice cutting through the air like a knife, "if it weren't for your master holding Harry in place, he would slice through you without breaking a sweat." Tanya said nothing but put her hand on her sword. Draco suddenly disappeared and was standing now next to Harry. "I told you, not fast enough," the blonde said. As he spoke, the top half of the girl slid sideways onto the floor. "As for you," Draco said pointing into the flames, "you can leave me and my Lion alone." A hissing chuckle sounded from the direction Draco had pointed.

"What claim do you have to anyone, black dragon," the voice hissed as the flames parted, "when you do not even own yourself?" Voldemort stepped out of the space between flames, his wand leveled at Draco. "You forget too easily that you are mine. The mark you bear is proof of this!" Voldemort said triumphantly waving his wand. The flames leaped out and wrapped around Draco's right arm. "You are in my world now," the Dark Lord said, "and I will retake what is mine." The flames tightened pulling visibly on Draco.

"You are the one who is mistaken here, my Lord," Draco said icily, standing firmly despite the tugging of the flames "I am no longer the frightened black dragon who served you or my father." As he spoke, Draco started walking away from the flames that were pulling so insistently at him. "I now belong to only one, and he does not force me to wear a mark." Voldemort looked uncertain now; he clearly had not expected Draco to be able to hold his ground, much less move against the pull of the flames. "The mark that I bear willingly is the one you did not have the strength to carry." Draco took one more step and there was a ripping sound as the sleeve of his right arm tore off and was carried back into the flames.

"It matters not what you think you are," Voldemort said, once more retreating beyond the emerald flames, "neither you, nor Potter can escape my dream, and while you are here you are at the mercy of my spells." The Dark Lord gave another hissing laugh before sending a jet of blue light flying at Harry who was still slumped in shock on the floor, staring at the three bodies around him. Draco appeared in between Harry and the incoming spell and sent it flying off in another direction with a flick of his sword.

"Enough of your petty blood magic," Draco said, kneeling next to Harry, "you would use the blood of the dead to punish their living relatives. I will show you the truth of Blood Magic." He held up his arm so that the glowing crest of water faced the roaring flames around them. Draco then drew his sword across the underside of his own arm, coating the blade with his own blood. "Be gone!" he shouted as he drove the blood-drenched sword into the ground. There was a single shriek of rage before the whole fabric of reality around them shattered.

As the last shreds of flame disappeared into the ground, Harry looked around at their new surroundings. They were under a bright blue sky in a rolling green field that stretched from one horizon to the other. Harry's eyes moved to Draco who was still standing with his sword in the ground. The blonde looked around himself, examining the surroundings on his own. He gave a satisfied nod and then crouched down in front of Harry.

"Are you okay?" he asked tenderly. Harry couldn't even muster the strength to respond. He sagged forward and Draco gently caught him and laid him on the ground. "Ree?" Harry opened his eyes and looked up at the Slytherin. Draco took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "I need you to drink this Ree." Draco said taking out the vial that Isil had given to him. Harry pushed the vial away and grabbed Draco, pulling the boy down into a passionate kiss. Draco waited until Harry backed off, and then looked the Gryffindor squarely in the eyes.

"You know this isn't real?" Draco asked softly, starring into the green pools of his love's eyes.

"I don't care," Harry said, "I'd rather stay here with you." He turned his head away from the blonde and stared out towards the horizon. Draco made a split second decision and swiftly uncorked the vial and poured the silver liquid into his own mouth. It tasted like sweet nectar and felt like nothing Draco had ever tasted before. When Harry turned to look back at the blonde, Draco was ready and captured the Gryffindor's mouth. Harry closed his eyes and lost himself in the kiss. Draco let the silver liquid pass into Harry before pulling away. He watched as Harry sighed contentedly and gazed up at him.

"Promise me," Harry said, "that you'll be there when I wake up." Draco nodded as Harry's eyes drifted closed. As the raven-haired boy slipped into sleep the field slipped away with him. Draco sighed and picked up his sword, re-sheathing it at his side. He began to feel the cold dampness of water around him and gave one more look at the sleeping Harry.

"Come back soon Ree," he whispered.

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Okay, so you can all feel free to guess what's gonna happen next time and I'll be appropriately shocked if any of you happen to read my mind. That said I'm gonna post this now and then cross my fingers that you all are still checking for new chapters on my story. Till next week. Ciao.


	24. Chapter 23

Ahhh it feels good to be back on schedule. Even if schedule means finishing these chapters at two in the morning. There's not much to say about this chapter except that if you're confused about the beginning, try reading the end of last chapter again and then reading this immediately. Fell free to ask any questions in those oh so delicious reviews you all send me. 

**Jujube15 –** Oh you think that dream was screwy? Just read on my faithful friend… read on.

**DestinyEntwinements –** Hmmmm upon reading this it's probably a good thing you didn't try to guess me out on this one… Have fun lol.

**mis-HD** – woohoo you came back! And since you can't wait for the next chapter, far be it from me to keep it from you any longer than it takes to write and edit. Enjoy.

**Hiero Kaze** – I'd bet that it's taking up way more of my time than yours lol. But it's nice to know it actually takes time to read my stuff. As requested, more good work (I hope). Enjoy

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**Chapter 23**

Harry bolted upright only to be restrained and forced back down by several pairs of hands. "He's having some kind of fit!" Someone called out above him. Harry tried to force his way up. "Let me go damn it!" he said, trying to push the hands off of him.

"Let him sit up," another voice said. Harry recognized Madam Pomfrey and opened his eyes. The worried faces of Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and McGonagall ringed him. "Now then," Pomfrey continued, pushing through the four people ringing Harry's bed, "just drink this Potter, and then you can go back to your dorm and get a good night's sleep before the start of classes tomorrow." Harry had been just about to swallow the contents of the goblet when something she said caused him to stop.

"Wait a minute," he said, lowering the goblet, "where's Draco?" the circle of faces around him looked blank.

"You don't mean Malfoy, do you mate?" Ron asked him. Harry nodded affirmatively trying to see around the group of people to see if Draco was in one of the other beds. "That ferret ran off at the end of last year, after he let those Death Eaters in." The faces around Harry had darkened at that, and the grief that Harry only remembered from the summer was visible in all of them.

"What's going on?" Harry asked now staring each person down, "Where's Isilomir, and Tanya, and Menon? Where are the Guardians and the Apprentices? Where's Dumbledore?"

"I think, dear," Pomfrey said taking the goblet from his hands and adding something else to it, "That perhaps it would be a better idea to stay here tonight." Before Harry could protest she neatly plugged his nose and poured the goblet's contents into his mouth. While making sure that Harry swallowed the mixture, she shooed the others away, telling Ron and Hermione that they could pick him up in the morning for breakfast. Harry didn't even have time to summon an antidote before the sleeping potion Pomfrey had fed him knocked him out.

Despite the potion Harry woke early and went to the infirmary window. His dreams had been filled with the faces of the people he thought he knew, and mostly of Draco. _You said you'd be there when I woke up, _Harry thought bitterly. He looked out towards the lake and watched the sun climb up over the mountains. From his vantage point, he could just make out the white marble of Dumbledore's tomb and he sagged down onto the floor below the window. _Was it all just a silly dream?_ He thought as he sat there, _but how much of it? My whole summer? Or just the parts where I saw Vin? Or was alone? How can anyone tell me if they really happened?_ It was in the middle of these thoughts that Ron and Hermione found him.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said kindly going over and crouching down next to him, "I know, it's still hard to believe that Dumbledore is really gone. You must have hit your head last night and just gotten a bit confused…" she trailed off as Harry looked her in the eyes. "You all right Harry?" she asked, putting her hand to his forehead. Harry shook her hand off and stood up.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine," he said forcing a grin despite the disappointment he felt. Nothing he could do after all if it had been a dream. "Hang on, I'll get ready." A few moments later the three of them were walking to breakfast. Everything was as normal as Hogwarts could be without Dumbledore. It had been announced the night before that McGonagall was filling in as temporary Headmistress until a more suitable candidate could be found. Harry caught himself heading for the first floor classroom after breakfast, but corrected his path and followed Hermione to Potions instead.

Slughorn was happy to see Harry on his feet, and showed it by giving the class a treat, teaching them how to make a bouncing potion that was supposed to make the drinker like rubber. It turned out to be a fairly enjoyable class, especially when one of the Ravenclaws got the potion right and spent five minutes bouncing around the room like a supper ball.

Harry didn't do nearly so well in transfiguration. He had apparently completely forgotten what a normal class was like and McGonagall said as much to him afterwards. All in all, Harry walked away from the first day with more homework than he had ever done before, whether in reality or in his dream. The weeks wore by and Harry managed to get sleep most nights, and still finish all of his work. Quidditch had started, and Gryffindor had annihilated Hufflepuff in the first match and Harry had nearly forgotten about his dream at the beginning of the term.

After the Halloween feast, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were walking back to the dorm when a rock flew out of the first floor corridor and hit Harry in the back. Infuriated, Harry turned around and wished that the torches down there were lit. He had barely thought about it when every torch in the entrance hall and down the corridors burst into life.

"Okay, that's freaky," Ron said looking around as if expecting people to come out with grinning faces.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, seeing that Harry was staring down the hall in wonder.

"Did… I…?" Harry was barely whispering. He took a few unsteady steps towards the corridor and saw the rock materialize and fly at him. He instinctively held his hands up in front of his face and the rock burst into flame and exploded.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled as rock chips flew in all directions, but they just curved away from the three students and clattered harmlessly to the floor.

"It's probably Peeves," Ron said looking down the corridor, "Let's go, before he throws something really dangerous our way, or before Filch comes and blames it on us." Harry gave a quick nod and followed his two friends up the stairs. As they climbed quickly towards the Gryffindor common room, Harry was thinking hard. The dream he'd had at the beginning of the semester had come flooding back to him, and he couldn't get it out of his mind. He checked the underside of his right arm and the skin looked red, as if someone had slapped it repeatedly. He wanted desperately to be on his own so he could test it out.

His chance didn't arrive until Christmas. Almost everyone in the school was too frightened to stay over for the break due to the increasing number of reports that Voldemort was probably targeting the rest of Hogwarts. People had been leaving ever since September and Harry, frankly, couldn't blame them. Even Ron and Hermione were going home, and Harry flatly refused to stay at either of their houses or return to Grimmauld Place over the break.

"I'm not leaving!" he said firmly to Ron and Hermione.

"But Harry," Ron tried again, "You can't do anything on your own over the holidays. Just come home with us and spend it with friends. It's probably gonna be safer away from here anyhow."

"If Voldemort," and Ron still cringed at the name, "VOLDEMORT!" Harry nearly screamed at him, making the redhead and the rest of the common room jump nearly a foot off the floor, "If Voldemort is going to come to Hogwarts, that's all the reason I need to stay. I'll stay here and fight him, even if the entire faculty turns tail and runs." Hermione opened her mouth to interrupt but Harry plowed on, "You want to know why I'd make a stand here? Because Dumbledore is here. I don't care if you don't believe me but he is. As long as I'm here, and I believe in him, he is here to help me." Harry's word succeeded in being final, and he waved goodbye to his two friends as they got in the carriages.

With the entire Gryffindor common room to himself, Harry used his wand to move everything burnable to the edges and put a Flame Freezing Charm on the lot of it. He then removed his sweater and stood in the center of it all in just his t-shirt. He faced the fire and thought, _come here fire._ He stared at the fire for a good five minutes with nothing happening. He shook himself and forced himself to think back to the lessons he had taken or dreamed from Isilomir. He couldn't decide on whether it had been dream or reality yet and he found that it didn't really matter to him as he recalled the elf's instructions.

He cleared all thoughts of foolishness and doubt from his mind and focused solely on the fire in front of him. He concentrated on just a single tongue of flame and commanded it to come out of the fire. He slowly opened his eyes as he felt the heat wash over him and grinned when he saw the tendril of flame dancing in mid air in front of him. His grin turned to open mouthed astonishment as more fire floated up from the grate and down from the torches, joining into a roiling ball of flame swirling inches from his nose.

Harry was ecstatic with his performance. The flame obeyed every whim that his mind could think up, just like in his dream. _Or had it been a dream at all?_ He thought. As he played with the fire, swirling it into an inferno around him, or sending it skittering into every corner of the room, he contemplated this turn of events. _If the dream was real, then what is it that I'm experiencing now? It could be a dream_, he reasoned, _but then, why can't I wake up? I've spent three whole months in this stupid place. But if my powers are real… than maybe…_ Harry was so surprised he hadn't thought of this back in September that he nearly just released the fire he was controlling. He caught himself though and guided the flames back to their respective housings, leaving the common room cozily lit once more.

He set off at a dead run through the corridors, charging towards the seventh floor. It was still the middle of the afternoon and the setting sun was throwing red rays through the windows, splashing the floor with strange shadows. The lack of people, combined with Harry's own sense of unreality, caused the shadows to shift and take on the shape of the elves from his dream, or his life, whichever it was. The sense of unreality increased as he topped the staircase to the seventh floor. He stopped running and calmly walked towards the gargoyle. He turned the corner, confident of what he would find there, and stopped, all of his hope and confidence vanishing faster than the snitch in a thunderstorm.

He was facing a blank wall. There were no portraits of any kind along the corridor. Harry turned quickly and checked the hall on the other side of the gargoyle statue. There was nothing there either. He walked back to the side he remembered the picture being on and walked down the hallway until he was sure he was at the right spot. He put his hands to the wall and pressed his palms into the cold stone.

"C'mon," he whispered to the wall, "let me in."

"Potter?" Harry jumped at the sound of his name and looked around to find McGonagall stepping out of the Headmaster's office. "What are you doing there?" she asked, "Were you looking for me?"

"Er… yes Professor," Harry said, deciding not to tell McGonagall what he had really been looking for. "I was... er… wanting to ask you…" Harry's mind worked in overdrive and landed on telling something near the truth. "I was wondering," he said starting over, "if it would be all right to practice some flame charms in the common room over break since no one else is there." He hoped she wouldn't read too much into his initial hesitation, or the fact that he was asking to use the common room instead of a classroom.

"You can do a Fire Freezing Charm, correct?" McGonagall asked. Harry nodded his assent. "Well then, as long as you cast that on everything in the room first, I don't see why not." Harry almost couldn't believe it. He thanked her profusely and headed straight back to the common room. He was still disappointed that he hadn't found the room. He had been so sure that it would be there.

Harry spent the rest of vacation pondering what to do. He spent almost all of his days practicing in the common room. He also made sure to practice a few fire charms in case McGonagall checked on him. On the last day of the break, Harry's depression had sunken to a new low. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the common room, staring at the ball of fire he had willed into existence above his palm. His thoughts were wandering and they inevitably landed on Draco. That just depressed Harry more. He missed the blonde's touch and the side of the Slytherin that only Harry knew. As he thought bitterly about Draco's promise to be there when Harry woke, the flame in his hand responded to his thoughts and took on the perfect likeness of Draco.

Harry stared idly at the figure in his palm. At first, he didn't notice the water gathering in his hand. Then as it started to rise up and take shape, Harry sat up startled. Draco had been the one who could control water. Not Harry. As Harry watched, the water finished sculpting itself into a perfect likeness of the Gryffindor. The two figures on Harry's palm embraced and kissed and then looked up at the amazed Harry.

"I'm thinking of you, love," Draco's voice whispered in his ear. Harry spun around but he was still alone in the common room. "I didn't break my promise," Draco went on, and Harry felt the warm touch of the boy's fingers on his face, "you just haven't woken up yet Ree." As Draco spoke the fire and water melded together to form a perfect sphere, fire surrounded by water. "Now you know what to look for," the soft touch of the blonde's lips replaced the fingers and Harry felt tears rolling down his face. He threw the sphere into the fire in frustration and ran up to his dormitory, sobbing until he fell asleep.

The next day, Harry avoided everyone. He went out onto the grounds, under the eves of the forbidden forest where he was sure that not even Ron or Hermione could find him and practiced all day while Draco's words from the night before kept cycling through his head. If Harry was sane, and he could only assume that he was, than what he was experiencing now was a dream, and what he had dreamed at the beginning of the year was really his reality, or at least it was more of a reality than this one. So if what Draco had said was true, Harry only had to find what Draco had shown him. He spent the entire day, and all day the next day through classes thinking of where on earth he could find a sphere of fire encased in water. Surely only a powerful enchanter could do something like that. Hermione tracked him down after dinner in the library. Harry was pouring over books about magical artifacts, trying to find the one Draco had shown him.

"There you are," Hermione said, coming up the aisle towards him. Harry didn't even look up at the sound of her voice. "You don't pay attention in class all day, you don't take any notes, and you don't even pretend to try and bring your books, and now I find you here in the library pouring over some random book of magical items. What's gotten into you Harry?"

"Do you mind?" Harry asked, "You're standing in the light." Hermione snorted at that.

"Oh I am, am I?" she asked, "Well maybe I'll move if you tell me what you're looking for." Harry didn't even glance up as he handed her a sheet of paper. Hermione stepped to the side as she examined the diagram drawn on the sheet. "Where'd you find this," she asked, her curiosity now piqued.

"I drew it," Harry replied shortly, "Draco showed it to me a couple nights ago."

"Malfoy was here?" Hermione squeaked looking frightened, "Harry, you should have told someone. He's a Death Eater, remember? You shouldn't trust anything he gives you," she stated moving back in front of the light so Harry couldn't see what he was reading. Harry glared up at her annoyed.

"He's not a Death Eater," Harry said flatly, "He's my boyfriend, and if you're going to stand there, I'll make my own light." He held up his hand and had the satisfaction of seeing Hermione's shocked expression when a torch like flame appeared in his palm.

"Harry," she hissed at him, looking over her shoulder to check for Madam Pince, "you aren't allowed to do any fire charms in the library! Put it out!" Harry just shrugged and pointed to his wand, which was sitting in plain view in the middle of the table. Hermione looked at the wand and opened and closed her mouth several times before sitting down in one of the chairs. It was more like falling than actual sitting as she only half landed on the chair. Harry doused the flame and turned his attention back to the book in front of him as Hermione tried to work out what he had just done.

"Ok Harry," she said after a few minutes, "you've got some explaining to do." Harry sighed and closed the book. Before Hermione could prompt him or ask him anything else, he told her everything that had happened in what he had decided to call his real life, and everything he had figured out over the break. She listened to it all patiently and then was silent for a few more minutes, contemplating the diagram of the sphere.

"You said Malfoy told you to find this?" she asked after staring at the drawing for a good five minutes. Harry nodded and turned another page in the book, scanning down the list of magical objects. "Have you ever seen one before?" she asked, racking her brain for any hint of a memory of such a sphere. Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, no, I don't know anymore," he said, staring dejectedly at the table. "I don't know if this is real and I'm just going crazy, I don't know if what I remember is reality, I don't even know if either of them is reality. I can't tell if I'm dreaming or not. I just know that the room that I stayed in with Draco isn't there anymore." He closed the book with a dull thud and sent it back to the shelf with a gesture.

"Well," Hermione said, sounding reasonable, "in the reality that you were in at the beginning of the semester you could control fire without a wand, and now you can do the same thing here. It would make sense then that that reality is more real than this reality… but if that's the case than why are you still in this reality rather than in that reality which seems to be more real than this one and… oh I'm afraid that didn't make much sense…" she said, seeing the look of incomprehension on Harry's face. "There must be some link between the two…" she went on, now thinking out loud.

"Well even if I get back," Harry said, scanning the shelves for another book, "I don't know if that reality is real either. Not to mention the fact that Menon will probably run me through the ringer for not keeping up my swordsmanship… what?" Harry asked. Hermione had frozen in place at his words and was now looking extremely excited.

"What did you tell me that- Menon was it? What was his training like?" Hermione asked, her face flushed with anticipated success. Harry looked confused.

"He threw rocks at me from the shadows," he replied, "and I was supposed to dodge them, and then deflect them, without being able to visually see where they were coming from."

"Harry…" Hermione said, sounding even more excited, so much so that her voice was shaking. "Harry, do you remember what happened on Halloween?" Harry stopped dead, staring at his friend.

"A rock… flew out of the shadows… on the first…" He didn't finish but set off at a sprint for the entrance hall. Hermione was right behind him all the way out of the library but she stumbled, out of breath, at the door.

"Since when… are you… in such… good shape," she gasped out at Harry as he picked her up easily.

"I told you," said as he started running again, "Isil had Draco and I do laps around the lake for an entire hour. A little run to the entrance hall is no problem now." He was grinning as he ran now, the sense of triumph he had experienced over Christmas vacation was now restored as he sprinted along. They arrived at the hall and Harry skidded around several second years before tearing off down the first floor corridor. He slid to a halt in front of the classroom door and set Hermione down on her feet.

"You're not even… breathing hard," Hermione said, glaring at him as she took deep breaths. Harry shrugged and pulled on the door handle but it was securely locked. "Here, let me," Hermione said, drawing her wand, "Alohomora!" Nothing happened. Hermione looked at the door closely and then tried again.

"Oh, move out of the way," Harry said irately after the fourth attempt had failed. He gathered as much flame as he could into his hand and concentrated it into a sphere roughly equivalent to a baseball in size.

"Harry, don't!" Hermione shouted as she jumped out of the way, but she was too late. Harry sent the fireball flying at high speed into the door, and watched astonished as it bounced off and slammed into his chest. "HARRY!" Hermione screemed as the Gryffindor was engulfed in flame. She watched in horror as the boy's body, held up against the wall by the force of his own fireball, slid down to the ground.

"I'm okay Hermione," Harry choked out, coughing on the smoke and dust now filling the corridor. Hermione watched in shock as Harry crawled out of the smoke cloud. He was apparently unharmed. The only thing the fireball had done, as far as she could see was incinerate Harry's shirt. "That's a damn strong spell," he muttered as he stood up.

"Harry… you should be dead," Hermione said, still staring at him. Harry grinned easily and chuckled.

"Fire can't hurt me Hermione," he said, waiting for the dust to settle, "I just absorb it." Hermione digested that little bit of information as they waited for the smoke to clear. When the air was breathable again, Harry stepped up to the door and began examining it closely.

"I'm surprised no one has shown up to see what happened," Hermione said, looking back towards the entrance hall.

"Control of heat gives me indirect control of air," Harry said, peering closely at the door, "and through that I have indirect control of sound."

"How does that follow," Hermione asked, still checking for the inevitable approach of Mrs. Norris. It was a moment before Harry responded.

"I can make the air really cold by removing the heat from it and by holding a wall of hot air up on either side of the cold air, it creates a vacuum or something like that," Harry said, his voice coming from much higher up than the last time he had spoken, "and sound waves can't travel through a vacuum. So no one heard any noise, that's why no one will come." Hermione had to admit she was impressed with Harry's quick thinking and even quicker execution of such a complicated technique in the short time he had before he got hit by the fireball. She turned around and jumped, surprised to see Harry floating near the ceiling of the corridor.

"C'mon Harry, let's get out of here," Hermione said, checking once more for Mrs. Norris, "They have magical sensors too, not just ears. You're bound to have set off at least one of them with the power of magic you just used." Harry didn't even look worried about that and continued to examine the top of the door.

"I can't even see through this seal," Harry grumbled lowering himself to the floor.

"What do you mean see through it," Hermione asked as they started back towards the library. Harry grinned and tapped his temple. She looked where he was pointing and saw that his eyes had become more like pools of emerald fire, a stark contrast to their normal sharp green. Then Harry blinked and the effect was gone.

"I can see strands of magic when I do that," he explained, "that's the first time though that something has blocked my vision." They quietly discussed the door and how to get through it as they walked back to the library. The second years were still in the entrance hall and gave both Hermione and Harry, now covered in dust and wearing a different shirt that he had conjured to replace the incinerated one, strange looks.

"Maybe there's a key somewhere," Hermione thought once they had regained the quiet of the library.

"There wasn't a keyhole on the door," Harry said, "just a thin slit under the handle."

"Well, maybe it's not a normal key," Hermione pressed, "maybe it's like some of those American treasure hunter movies where you have to put an artifact in to open the door." Harry thought about that for a bit and shrugged.

"It's possible I guess," he finally admitted.

Despite spending the rest of the day discussing it, neither Harry nor Hermione could come up with anything that might act as a key to the first floor classroom. Harry was all for going back for another look, but Hermione refused, reasoning that Mrs. Norris was bound to have come across the destruction Harry's fireball had caused and would be prowling around the area looking for the culprits.

"We'd better get rid of all the dust," Hermione said as they prepared to leave for dinner, "just to make sure we don't look or smell suspicious." Harry agreed and began to dust himself off, only to find that there was no dust to be found. He looked up confused, and found Hermione grinning and waggling her wand at him. "Honestly, for someone who can think on his feet like you can," she said as they headed out of the library, "you don't even consider magic when it comes to a simple thing like cleaning."

"Well when you've done it the hard way for eleven years," Harry retorted, "it kind of becomes habit." Hermione chuckled at that.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked, joining them in the entrance hall as they went in for dinner.

"We'll fill you in after dinner," Harry said quickly. Ron shrugged and led them down the table to find seats. Once they had returned to the common room for the night, Harry repeated everything he had told Hermione to Ron. The redhead took it much worse than Hermione had.

"I think maybe you should get some help mate," he said giving Harry an odd look, "I've told you before, hearing voices no one else hears isn't a normal thing, even in the wizarding world." Harry glared at his friend, but Ron pushed on stubbornly. "Especially if it's a git like Malfoy. Telling you all this rubbish about being your boyfriend and all. That's just weird, and-"

"I should have known better," Harry interrupted him, shouting, "You never believe anything until you see it for yourself! Well if you can't take my word for it, I guess I'll just do it without your help!" He stormed off out of the portrait hole as Hermione began to berate Ron. _The git,_ Harry thought savagely, _the stupid stubborn git._

Harry spent all night looking around the castle for a key, or artifact, or anything that might get him through the door, and as a consequence slept most of the next day. He kept to that schedule for nearly two weeks without any luck in finding the key. Hermione, despite Ron's continued assertions that Harry was certifiably insane, met with him every evening before and after dinner to help him look. As time went by, and Harry continued to skip classes and search all night, he ended up spending more and more time under the invisibility cloak to avoid teachers. He spent a rather enjoyable afternoon napping in the rafters of the transfiguration classroom while McGonagall thoroughly questioned everyone in class about his whereabouts By the end of the third week, Harry was willing to bet he knew the castle's passages, hidden or otherwise, better than anybody else, including the Weasley twins.

"I wish we knew what we were looking for," Hermione said for the thousandth time. They were standing by the tree next to the lake, Harry under the invisibility cloak. It was February now, and they were no closer to finding the key than they had been the first week of January. They had taken to meeting in out of the way places that Hermione had an excuse to be in to avoid the teachers and prefects that were out in force looking for Harry. Hermione was supposed to be practicing fire charms by the lake as bait to lure Harry out of hiding, and it made for a rather convenient meeting spot.

"It would help if we knew where to look too," Harry said, repeating the rhetoric that began each of their meetings. Harry grinned to himself as he thought about it. Hermione's complaint to the seemingly empty air, and his response had almost become a code like the kind that government agents used to determine who their contact was. This meeting started out like all their others. They compared notes about where they had searched and where they had left to look. Harry was about ready to suggest they search in the Chamber of Secrets and in the room where the Sorcerer's Stone had been kept, when something caught his eye. The moon had sailed out from behind a cloud and Harry realized with a shock that it was full for the second week running.

"Hermione," Harry whispered, afraid that speaking too loud might make it untrue, "look up at the moon."

"What about it," Hermione asked, peering up at the silver disk in the sky, "it's full."

"Just like last night," Harry said, "and the night before that, and last week. It's been full for almost two full weeks now." Hermione thought about it for a bit and with a start, realized that Harry was right. They had been meeting under the full moon for almost two weeks. Just then her watch beeped, signaling that her time was up and she had to return to fill a negative report. As she turned to the castle though, a new thought struck her.

"You said the room you stayed in wasn't there anymore, right?" she asked, careful not to sound too excited.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "I've looked several times, but there's no door in the seventh corridor aside from the broom cupboard and Dumbledore's Office."

"Didn't you say that your room had a balcony though," Hermione prompted. Harry gave an affirmative sounding noise, still not seeing where she was going with this. "Well then, have you looked for the balcony?" The simplicity of the statement was so profound that Harry could only stare at his friend for a moment. Hermione conjured a pair of binoculars and held one pair out to Harry. They then trained them on the edifice of the castle, brightly illuminated by the full moon over head.

"There it is!" Harry said excitedly, "Just above the History of Magic windows." Hermione looked where he had pointed and sure enough found the half broken balcony jutting out from the seventh floor. "Let's go," Harry said starting for the castle.

"Harry, wait," Hermione hissed at him. Harry instantly dropped to his belly in the grass at her warning and slithered backward behind the tree. Three people came out of the castle and started walking straight towards Hermione who was now practicing _incendio_ on some pinecones. Harry swallowed against the lump in his throat, the invisibility cloak was on the other side of the tree now, and there was no way he could get to it without the movement being visible. Hermione pretended to have just noticed the three people and turned around, picking up Harry's invisibility cloak and slipping it on under the cloak she was wearing and then headed towards the advancing group so that they wouldn't come around the tree.

"Any luck Miss Granger?" that was McGonagall Harry identified.

"No, Professor," Hermione replied sounding disconsolate and worried. _Hermione really can act,_ Harry thought, grinning.

"Well I'm sure he'll come and talk to you eventually," one of the others said. It took Harry a second to recognize that one, but he finally pinned it down as belonging to Rufus Scrimgoer, the Minister of Magic. "A right shame really, the boy finally going off the deep end like that," he went on.

"With all due respect, Minister," the third person put in, "I still maintain that Harry has a perfectly good reason for hiding from us." That voice belonged to Mr. Weasley but Harry was a bit unsure of why he would be there. Harry couldn't imagine that he fell under the jurisdiction of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office.

"The way your son tells it Weasley, is that the reason is because he's lost it," Scrimgoer replied. Harry's heart skipped a beat. Had Ron told the Ministry everything? "Have you remembered anything else Miss Granger?" Scrimgoer went on, "About this nonsense of having a romantic relationship with a known death eater and letting him into the castle and taking instructions from him?" Scrimgoer sounded a bit uncomfortable as he said this but it at least answered Harry's question. Ron had told the ministry everything all right.

"I'm sorry Minister," Hermione said, her voice betraying the amount of control it was taking to keep from hexing the Minister of Magic right there, "You've already heard the entire story from Mr. Weasley, I have nothing to add." Apparently, Hermione was not on first name basis with Ron anymore Harry thought. "Also," Hermione went on, her voice now having a touch of condescension to it, "if you were really serious about this plan for me to find out where Harry is and what he is doing, you wouldn't come barging out of the castle to check on me. Furthermore," she hurried on before any of the adults could interrupt, "you wouldn't go saying Harry is insane where he might be very able to hear you. If I were him, that would be all the encouragement I'd need to stay away." Scrimgoer looked infuriated at Hermione's reprimand and his voice barely contained that fury to a normal speaking volume.

"We came out here girl," all politeness was now gone from Scrimgoer's tone and words, "because our magical sensors detected a conjuring spell performed out here. We thought perhaps the boy had tried to send you an object, so we came to see if he was here or not."

"Well if he was," Hermione said, not the least bit deterred by Scrimgoer's manner, "you've probably scared him into the Forbidden Forest with you're inquisition style approach!" Their voices had reached a shouting volume and Harry was positive if they had been speaking normally, they would have heard his suppressed snorts of laughter.

"Insolent girl!" Scrimgoer shouted back, "I'm the Minister of Magic! You can't talk to me like that!"

"Than act like one!" Hermione shouted back, "You're standing around the castle getting in everyone's way just because your precious hero has gone and done his own thing! Well why don't you go back to the Ministry and cover it all up like you usually do and pretend that Voldemort-"

"Miss Granger that is enough!" McGonagall interrupted forcefully. Harry had to choke back his laughter in the sudden silence but luckily a spat of barking as Hagrid and Fang approached covered it.

"Here now, what's with all the shoutin'" Hagrid said as he approached. Harry's heart rose into his throat. Fang would be able to smell him, unless… what was it that Lance had told him about animals?

"Oh Hagrid," Hermione cried, she sounded close to tears, but Harry couldn't think about that right then as he could hear Fang approaching.

"There, there, now," Hagrid said, "wha's this all about?"

"The girl became hysterical," Scrimgoer said, sounding much more in control now, "can't accept the fact that her friend may have lost his senses."

"Ron's lost it?" Hagrid asked.

"They think Harry's insane Hagrid," Hermione broke in.

"WHAT?" Hagrid shouted, "Nonsense, Harry ain' insane!" Harry didn't have time to pay attention any longer because Fang had finally come around the tree. He opened his mouth to bark a greeting but Harry had finally remembered what it was that Lance had told him. He clamped his hands around Fang's muzzle and leaned down next to the boarhound's ear.

"Din seldohuaneva," he whispered, hoping he had gotten it right. Fang cocked his head at Harry and made a snuffling noise that sounded suspiciously like, 'are you sure?' "Din Fang, just for a bit," Harry whispered. He thought hard for a moment, trying to recall the little bit of elvish that he had learned and seeing if he could actually form the sentence he wanted to.

"Arsilye," he finally said. Fang blinked slowly, and then nodded once before turning around and heading back to Hagrid. Harry straightened up and used the covering noise of Hagrid's shouts to climb up into the tree. Once in a secure spot, Harry was able to continue listening to the argument below. Hermione had apparently recovered enough to resume shouting at Scrimgoer.

"–going to bed, and since Harry is important to me, I'll be out here tomorrow night looking for him," she said, "maybe I'll even try and find these rooms he told us about. Who knows? Maybe he's telling the truth… like he usually does!" She stormed off towards the castle leaving a dumbfounded Scrimgoer surrounded by a group of displeased adults.

"Well what was that all about," Scrimgoer said, pretending not to notice the hostile expressions on the faces around him. The message had come through loud and clear to Harry though, 'Don't do anything tonight, we'll go tomorrow.' Below him, McGonagall and Mr. Weasley were leading Scrimgoer back to the castle. Fang whoofed at Hagrid and ran in circles around him.

"Coming Hagrid?" McGonagall called back.

"In a minute," Hagrid called back, "Fang jus' wants to run 'round a bit that's all. We'll jus' go back to the hut after he's had 'is fill." McGonagall waved acknowledgement and then continued up the lawns to the castle. Hagrid leaned against the tree Harry was in while Fang ran in circles around them. Harry hoped they wouldn't stay too long as there wasn't really a comfortable spot to sit in.

"So," Hagrid spoke up, "Do you really wan' to sleep up in a tree Harry, or would ya rather stay in my cabin for the night." Harry nearly fell out of the tree and Hagrid looked up to make sure he was okay. "S'all right Harry, I won' turn ya in," Hagrid said, watching to make sure Harry got down safely, "'Ermione gave me yer cloak to give to ya. C'mon, we'll get you some dinner. Oh and uh… it's probably better if ya don't say anythin' until we're inside." Harry nodded and wrapped himself in the invisibility cloak, still trying to figure out how Hagrid fit into all this now.

They reached the relative safety of Hagrid's cabin without incident. Harry had to quickly slip in the door ahead of Fang so Hagrid's movements would look natural to anyone watching. Once inside, Harry removed the invisibility cloak and gratefully sank into one of the chairs.

"Tea Harry?" Hagrid asked, beginning to bustle around the hut, "Hermione made it this afternoon." Harry nodded appreciatively, reminding himself to thank Hermione for sparing him from Hagrid's cooking. As he drank his tea, Harry began to wonder how he was going to spend the entire night.

"Well now," Hagrid went on after they had been sitting there for a few minutes, "Hermoine said your sleep schedule was a bit off, so why don't you tell me all about this dream or whatever it was you had." Harry nodded but didn't start speaking right away. He thought of everything that had happened to him so far in this messed up world. It wasn't fair he thought. He had to put up with so much and now he'd been stuck in this world without the one person who had made life bearable for almost six months.

"Things started happening last summer…" Harry began. He told Hagrid everything he could remember about Vin, and the first night of the year. He didn't leave out any details and made sure that Hagrid understood as much as possible the depth of Harry and Draco's relationship. He described in detail the marvelous hatching feast and Hagrid's own joy at finally having a dragon of his own. When he had finished, Hagrid in turn thoroughly questioned Harry about detail after detail. It was with a bit of a shock that Harry realized it was 4:00 AM and he was very, very tired.

"We set up a bed for you back here Harry," Hagrid said leading the way towards the makeshift pantry at the back of the cabin. Harry saw that a bed had indeed been set up, crammed between two cabinets leaving only a couple of feet of walking space between the bed and Fang's basket. Hagrid retreated back into the main room and Harry could hear him preparing to leave for the day. Harry gratefully undressed and conjured a pair of pajama bottoms with his wand before turning it on his clothing and repairing all the rips and tears he had acquired over the course of the day. With that accomplished, Harry arranged himself as comfortably as possible on the bed and was asleep almost immediately.

"Now this is interesting…"

Harry bolted upright in the bed, looking around to see who had spoken. The back room was empty, except for Fang in his basket. The dog was watching him curiously, but Harry was more curious about the voice he had just heard. He got up soundlessly and peeked around the curtain. The rest of the hut was empty and the sun streaming through the windows revealed it to be around mid afternoon.

"Like all humans, he speaks to the dog and expects it to understand, but doesn't expect the dog to speak back," the voice said again as Fang walked into the main room.

"You can speak Fang?" Harry asked, trying to make his tone as neutral as possible. The dog laughed as it lapped up some water before turning to face Harry and sitting on its haunches.

"Incorrect," Fang said, "I am not Fang, but this canine proved to be a convenient medium. Come, lie down in the sun while we talk. While the moonlight suits your companion just fine, you need the brighter rays of the sun goddess to keep your strength up."

"I must be insane," muttered Harry as he lay down in the pool of sunlight on the floor. He immediately felt more awake and much more comfortable than he had in weeks.

"A truly wise thing to say," Fang said, hopping up on a chair so that Harry could see him from the floor, "it is the fool who denies the truth."

"So you're saying I'm crazy?" Harry said. He wasn't being indignant, just curious, as if this were some kind of philosophical debate.

"In this world, you are indeed crazy Godric," came the response, "but that is not your fault. You are crazy here simply because you do not belong here." Harry must have looked as confused as he felt because the dog continued without any prompting. "You are no longer in the world you belong in. There are countless worlds out there, as many as there are thoughts in existence. Each one is a possibility and none of them are any more correct than any of the others…" the dog trailed off as Harry's confusion intensified. "Let me try this in another way that isn't so esoteric. You are in a dream." Harry blinked.

"A dream?" he asked.

"Yes, a dream. When you were sent here, the Harry Potter that belongs to this dream was removed from it, and you, Godric, filled his place," the dog said this so simply that it took a moment for it to sink into Harry's mind.

"That's the second time you've called me Godric," Harry said, "I'm Harry."

"Are you?" the dog sounded genuinely surprised, "Is it not true that you inherited Godric Gryffindor's soul?" Harry nodded and the dog seemed to think that answered the question, because it went on, "I can tell you that when you leave this dream, Harry will be reinstated and everything that happened while you were here will be forgotten and the dream will begin again from that day when you arrived. So it is imperative that you leave this dream as soon as possible so I can go back to sleep."

"You were sleeping fine last night," Harry said reasonably.

"Indeed I was," the dog replied, "and I would have remained asleep and completely unaware of your presence here had you not spoken the high tongue to this canine."

"You mean elvish?" Harry asked, "Why did that wake you up?"

"Because no one in this dream knows that language," the dog said, "only the elves know it, and they have forsaken earth entirely here. Anyway, back to the task at hand. You must get into that room tonight, regardless of what stands in your way." Harry nodded his understanding.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I want to get out of here more than anybody else," he said, standing up and stretching.

"Back to bed now Godric," the dog said, leading the way back towards the pantry, "Hermione will wake you when it is time to go." Harry nodded and lay down on the bed, but another question cropped up in his mind.

"How do you know so much?" he asked turning to face the dog.

"Every world has a Voice, an entity that wakes when something unexpected happens. We know everything there is to know about the world in our care, both what has happened and what will happen." the dog said as he arranged himself in the basket.

"So what happens to everyone here?" Harry asked, curious to know how things turned out.

"In this dream, you defeat Voldemort in a blazing spectacular battle that reveals the wizarding world to normal muggles. Than you and Hermione get married and have two children, and become the first Muggle-Wizard ambassadors. You live to the ripe old age of eight hundred and fifty two, thanks to you and your wife's work in alchemy and every other branch of magic, and you peacefully leave this world together." The dog cracked an eye open to see Harry's reaction. Harry was a bit speechless. _Me and Hermione?_ In every scenario he could come up with he couldn't see it happening. "And that, dear boy, is why it is better not to know the future." The dog said nothing more and Harry slipped once again into sleep.

When he woke again, the sun had just set and he could here Hagrid moving about the main part of the cabin. He quickly dressed and stepped out into the central area. Neither he nor Hagrid spoke much as they had a quick meal and waited for Hermione. She showed up around eight o'clock, looking excited.

"Ready?" She asked Harry. He nodded and gave Hagrid a quick hug goodbye before following Hermione out of the hut. "Now I still don't know how we're going to get up to that balcony without using magic," Hermione said as they walked across the grounds.

"Just leave that to me," Harry said, "I can lift us up there with hot air." Hermione looked surprised Harry thought in the light of yet another full moon. They reached the base of the castle wall right below the balcony and Hermione craned her head back to see that they were in the right spot.

"You better not drop us," she said seriously, looking back at Harry. He nodded reassuringly and then the question burst from him before he could stop it.

"Do you love me Hermione?" Hermione froze where she was, staring at Harry. Harry stared back, willing her to answer him honestly, even though she knew his heart already belonged to Draco Malfoy.

"I… Harry why are you asking me this?" Hermione finally said, turning her face away so that it was hidden in shadows. _She's blushing!_ Harry realized dumbfounded. "I thought you loved Draco," Hermione said in a small voice.

"Well," Harry said, trying to sound funny, "I do, but the Harry you went to school with doesn't." Hermione lunged into him as he said this and Harry had little choice but to hug her back.

"Oh Harry," she said, sounding like she was laughing and crying at the same time, "I love you so much. I thought you had finally understood that, when we were comforting each other after the funeral last year, and then over the summer when I visited you at Grimmauld Place, but then, school started and it was like you had forgotten everything…" she trailed off as she saw the sadness in Harry's eyes.

"I'm sorry I made you spend so long without your love," Harry said, "I know too well how it feels to be separated from the one you hold dear."

"Then you really are in love with Draco?" Hermione asked, tears in her eyes. Harry had a disturbing flashback to a very similar scene involving Ginny Weasley back when he and Draco had first started sleeping together.

"Yes I am," Harry said, watching as Hermione's lower lip trembled with his words, "but, if we find what we're looking for tonight, I promise you that you'll wake up tomorrow morning and the old Harry will be back." Hermione looked dubious but Harry pressed on, "Not only that, you and he will get married one day and live for a very long time." Hermione looked completely bewildered but apparently her trust for Harry over road all else as her face finally became joyful.

"Oh Harry," she said kissing him soundly. Harry was completely unprepared for that and Hermione pulled back before he could really react. "I think I'll enjoy being married to Harry Potter," she said mischievously, "especially if you taste that good." Harry blushed bright red and was glad they were under the full moon.

"Why'd you do that," Harry asked, trying to recover his composure, "I told you, your Harry will be back tomorrow. I'm still the one that's in love with Draco."

"Oh I know," Hermione said, "but I'm not going to remember any thing that happened since September when I wake up tomorrow morning for the first day of classes, am I?" It was Harry's turn to stare in shock.

"I didn't tell you about that part," he said a little begrudgingly as he began to lift them through the air towards the balcony.

"It's basic theory," Hermione said, once more sounding like a know-it-all, "if you aren't the Harry Potter that I spent the last six years at school with, then when you leave, we'll all have to live these six months over again with the real Harry." It didn't sound very basic to Harry but he didn't press the point. At least he now knew why Ron was so obsessed with snogging Hermione. She didn't taste half bad, nowhere near as tasty as Draco though in Harry's opinion.

They reached the balcony without any alarms sounding, or any slipups in Harry's concentration. Harry wasn't quite sure that he wanted to see the state of the room but he opened the door and stepped inside off the broken balcony anyway. At a thought the three torches left in the bedroom burst into life, dimly lighting the chamber and casting shadows at odd angles. The curtains on the bed were pulled closed and there was at least two inches of dust on the floor. Cobwebs hung from the corners and several random pieces of crumbled masonry littered the floor. Harry also noticed that the room was filled with a disturbing smell that he couldn't quite place.

"Doesn't look like there's anything in here," Hermione said, looking around the room, "Let's check the other two rooms."

"Bathroom is that door," Harry said, pointing to the door on the left. Hermione walked over to it and cracked it open, only to slam it shut again quickly. She backed away looking like she was going to be sick. Harry cautiously approached the door and reached out for the handle.

"Harry, don't," Hermione chocked out, but Harry pulled the door open anyway.

He was instantly assailed with the most horrible smell he had ever experienced but he fought back the urge to vomit and peered into the gloom. Unable to see anything at all, Harry called up a fireball into his hand to provide light. What he saw in that bathroom would haunt him for the rest of his life. In the bathtub, where he and Draco and Nox had bathed and played, was the hulking rotting corpse of a full-grown dragon. Harry couldn't fathom how the beast had gotten into the room in the first place as his eyes were drawn to the glint of metal on the wall opposite the door. Hanging there was a full harness of green leather like the kind that Vin wore when bearing passengers, and emblazoned on that harness was a silver serpent. Harry shut the door and doused the flame in his hand, the image of the dragon burned into his vision.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice sounded small and scarred.

"It was a dragon," Harry said, "a dead dragon." Hermione's eyes went wide. "Let's check the common room." Harry said, trying to regain his center of balance. Hermione nodded and followed Harry as he headed for the other door. Harry swallowed as he reached for the handle, hoping that there wasn't an equally morbid sight in this room.

It turned out that there was no monstrous corpse in the common room. In fact there wasn't much of anything recognizable. What was there, were rows and rows of chairs all in black, and a lectern close to the bedroom door with some parchment on it.

"It looks more like a classroom than a common room," Hermione commented as she walked around the room. "What does it say?" she asked Harry, who had stepped up to the lectern to read the parchment.

"Noble friends both young and old," Harry read, using another fireball for light, "we are gathered here today to remember and honor two of the greatest men of the past age. Last night, as you all know, Godric Gryffindor and his husband, Salazar Slytherin, passed out of this world in peace and tranquility. They both lived long and fulfilling lives and were a great credit to this school and to wizarding society in general…" Harry flipped a few pages. "Most of it's unreadable," he said, "Oh here we go. As per their wishes, Godric and Salazar are to be sealed in this room that was their home for so many years. A final goodbye may be whished to them now."

"A Eulogy?" Hermione asked sounding a bit surprised. Harry nodded.

"Apparently Salazar didn't leave the school in this world," he said.

"You mean he left it where you're from too?" Hermione asked.

"You mean he actually left here too?" Harry replied, "Then why the hell was his funeral held here?"

"Harry this is it," Hermione said excitedly, "Something that happened in neither of our experiences. Something that slipped in when you arrived to facilitate your exit."

"You're saying that the room we're trying to get into is Salazar and Godric's tomb?" Harry asked. It didn't sound very likely to him.

"Weren't you paying attention to what you were reading?" Hermione said, sounding much more like her usual self, "It said they were going to be sealed in _this_ room."

"Then that would mean…" Harry trailed off, "Well that would explain the smell in the bedroom," he admitted. Hermione nodded, looking sickly again, but also determined to see for her self. Harry led the way back into the bedroom and slowly approached the bed. They pulled the curtains aside and revealed a sight completely at odds with the rotting dragon in the other room.

The two people on the bed were obviously dead, but they were not decomposed in the slightest. They still looked as if they were sleeping, except for the lack of movement and the paleness of their complexions. Their hands were folded on their breasts and each one looked very peaceful. Harry saw immediately what it was they had to show him, because it was something he had been missing only slightly less than Draco. Resting along Godric's length, the handle clasped in the man's hands, was the all too familiar shape of the sword Harry had become skilled at wielding. He walked around to that side of the bed and gently pried the weapon loose from the cold hands, feeling the blade's warmth course up his arms.

"A thin slit under the handle," Hermione said, repeating Harry's description of the key hole on the first floor door, "a slit just the right size for a blade to slip into." Harry was already moving, walking this time in respect for Hermione, towards the common room. "Harry that door is sealed," Hermione called to him as she jogged to catch up.

"It won't be soon," Harry said, drawing the sword and holding it to the side in a ready position. "There aren't any seals on this door and the sooner we get where we're going the better." Hermione didn't have time to protest any further as fire coursed down Harry's arm and onto the blade. He turned and looked over his shoulder at Hermione. "Go to the broom cupboard at the top of the staircase," he told her, "go inside and say, 'I apologize to Craggy Snargvort,' then leave the cupboard and you'll be on the first floor."

"Where are you going then?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to draw the search to the top floor so we can be free to search that room. Here," he added passing her the invisibility cloak, "I'll be there soon." Hermione nodded and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders. Harry turned back towards the doorway. "OPEN!" He shouted, swinging the fire encased sword into the masonry. The door exploded out into the hallway beyond with a resounding crash that shook the castle. Harry calmly walked out and headed towards the stairway. Hermione darted ahead of him and slipped into the broom closet first. A second later, Harry sensed her heat signature vanish and knew it was time to bring everyone up to the seventh floor. He pointed his wand back down the corridor and fired off a patronus, before ducking into the broom cupboard himself. He ran his hand up the hinges, melting them into place so that no one else would be able to open the door. "I apologize to Craggy Snargvort," he said. A second later he was standing outside the first floor door with Hermione.

They nodded at each other and Harry gently slid the sword into the crack. The door hissed and then cracked, before disintegrating into ash. Harry gingerly stepped over the threshold and saw on the desk the sphere that had dominated his mind for the past three months. He swallowed as he picked it up off the desk, the water cool to the touch.

"It's beautiful," Hermione said, "but what good does it do you?" Harry looked closely at it and then let his mind feel the fire inside it.

"This isn't the right one," he said, his tone sounding pleased despite the words he was saying, "This is just another key to the next door." He looked at the door to the teacher's office with his fiery eyes. "The heart of a dragon," he whispered looking again at the object in his hand. "A true dragon is a creature of balance," he said as if he was repeating a lesson to himself, "it's heart is made up of the four mortal elements: earth, fire, wind, and water." He looked down at the desk where a fine layer of dust had collected. He scooped some up and let it fall onto the sphere, which immediately began swirling into the pinkish red of life. Voices approaching outside startled them both and they were even more surprised when the Minister came through the door. _I must have tripped something in the entrance hall,_ Harry thought, _how irritating, but it saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one_.

"There there now, Harry," put that ball down before you hurt someone. Harry just gave him a contemptuous look and lit him on fire without a second thought. As the screams of the minister filled the room Harry turned his attention to Hermione the only other being visible. The girl was too fast for him though and already had her wand pointed at Harry.

"_Expelliarmus!_" she shouted sending the pink heart careening directly into the remaining door in the room. Both heart and door vanished in a flash of light, revealing the room beyond with a goblet sitting on the desk inside. Harry shook himself and wondered what had just come over him. He looked at Hermione who only shrugged. "Vengeful draconic mentality," she offered joining him as they walked into the teacher's office. The goblet was filled with a very familiar silver liquid. "Go ahead and drink Harry," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded and picked up the goblet. With one last look at Hermione, he drained the contents and crumpled to the floor as blackness swallowed his mind.

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……………I don't think I'm gonna say much about this one…… Ciao!


	25. Chapter 24

Okay guys, here's the next piece of this madness and I'm keeping Harry in the woods a bit longer. It was a rough week and a half here in writer's land but I finished anyway . So enjoy this little bit and we'll see how fast I can type up the next chapter… considering I already know how it goes. Curse you college and making me write papers instead of stories *shakes fist impotently at professors* Anyway, review responses (some of which are a bit long this time around) and then madness. Enjoy. 

**Jujube15 –** The dreaming madness is far from over. And can I respond with meow since I keep getting those whiskery emotes from you =^-^=

**DestinyEntwinements –** Tricky question and your assumption is only half right. The dream that Harry ended up in last time was for all intents and purposes supposed to be what will most likely follow HBP, with Harry-Hermione substituted for Ron-Hermione. The thing about the room was that it wasn't supposed to exist and didn't exist before our Harry arrived. I really hope that made sense… anyway have fun with this one too :)

**mis-HD** – WE HAVE ANOTHER WINNER! Someone mentioned blood so I could actually cry XD. Yes the silver stuff is Isilomir's blood (same stuff that saved Draco back in Chapter 22). Logically the only way to counteract "blood magic" is to removechange blood. So you made my day and this is the second time one of you has guessed correctly without me writing it out first. Keep up the good work and here is your update… now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now review.

**Hiero Kaze** – Well technically Draco is still sleeping… but I'll get to that next time (I hope). Here's another wacky chapter to add to the crazy pile. Enjoy.

**vice17** – I hope I did as good a job with this chunk of it too. Thanks for reviewing and enjoy the chapter.

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**Chapter 24**

Harry woke feeling very comfortable and warm all over. He opened his eyes slowly; afraid that what he might see would be a detention cell at the Ministry of Magic. What he saw confused him more than anything that had happened in that dream he had just had. He was in a normal looking room, with a white plaster ceiling. The light of early morning was coming through the windows and illuminated the moving posters of quidditch players on the walls. There was a desk in the corner, neatly organized and arranged between an assortment of textbooks and magical models. The light from the windows danced through a fish tank on one wall, and drew Harry's eyes back to the bed he was in.

"You up Harry?" a young voice sounded close to his ear. Harry turned to see what it was and found himself looking at a six year old with eyes as green as his own. "Big brother's awake!" the boy yelled joyfully, "and he's up early too so we can open presents!" Harry was too stunned even to speak. _Big brother?_ A movement on his other side caused Harry to turn his head the other way.

"Can't you get the little twerp to stop shouting Ree?" a sleepy sounding Draco asked, "I told you we shouldn't have let him sleep in here with us." The little boy stuck his tongue out at Draco.

"You just wanted to be alone with Harry to make out," the boy said in a know-it-all voice. Draco threw his pillow at the young Potter and the boy dissolved into spouts of giggles. Harry sat up as he tried to sort this all out. He apparently had a brother, and Draco. What the hell was going on? Another dream?

"Well now that you're up love," Draco said getting up, "We'd better go downstairs so you're mom can let the Weasleys know." The blonde got up from the bed and tapped his foot expectantly. When no one moved he gave an exasperated sigh. "You going to leave Conner so that we can get dressed?"

"Oh sure," the boy said as he got off the bed. He was wearing red flannel pajamas, Harry noticed idly, with little griffon shaped slippers. "You just want to be alone with Harry. I get it." Draco made a move as if to chase the boy out, but Conner just stuck his tongue out again and ducked out the door. Draco then came back to the bed and crawled into Harry's lap, kissing him passionately. Kissing Draco had never felt so good. Somewhere in the middle of the kiss, Harry realized that he had been dreaming and that this was very real.

"Merry Christmas love," Draco said once they had parted.

"Merry Christmas Drake," Harry responded smiling at the blonde. "Race you to the shower," Draco said with a grin. Harry knew it was a lost cause from the start but he did his best. A smug looking Draco came back into Harry's room twenty minutes later. "Did you leave me any hot water at all?" Harry asked with mock indignation.

"Of course I did," Draco said sounding hurt, "but if you don't hurry, Peter or Lilly will use up what I left you." Harry wasted no time in sprinting for the bathroom, kissing Draco on the way by.

While he showered he had time to think. That dream he'd had last night had been so weird. Of course his parents weren't dead. He was the eldest of a family that rivaled the Weasley's for crying out loud. The youngest was Conner, then he had a sister who was nine named Eve. Next was a set of twins, Lucy and Sean, who were both ten and eager to start Hogwarts next year. There was one more brother, Peter, who was in his third year at Hogwarts, and then a sister who was only a year behind Harry, named Lily, after their mother. All of his siblings had his mother's eyes, but only Harry and Conner so far had developed their father's eyesight and Conner hid that by wearing contact lenses. The three oldest children, Harry, Lily, and Peter, as well as Conner, all had the jet-black hair of their father, but everyone else had their mother's auburn hair. The entire Potter clan was thin and lanky, and always just a bit taller than others their age.

Then there was the Weasley family; Bill with his curse breaking, Charley and his dragons, Percy at the Ministry, Fred and George with their joke shop that Draco had helped them set up, and Ron and Ginny who were still in school. Hermione and Ron were going out, and he and Draco had been steady for three years now. His parents were alive and well and all four families got together to celebrate Christmas with each other every year. Voldemort was a figment of his imagination. The elves were a pleasant dream. Everything here was as it should be.

"Harry, get out of there already. You've been in there twice as long as your boyfriend!" That was Lily's voice filtering through the door and exaggerating as usual. He had barely been in here half an hour. "Mother's heating charm isn't eternal you know," Lily said, sounding bossy now.

"All right, all right," Harry called back shutting off the water, "I'm out now, happy?"

"Out of the bathroom you twit," his sister called back. Harry grinned as he toweled dry, and then wrapped a green fluffy bathrobe with his name on it, around him. "Honestly," Lily was saying, "I pity your roommates at school. You take such long showers." He grinned at her comment and stuck his tongue out at her as he walked back towards his room. "And you wonder where Conner gets it from," she shouted at him as she went into the bathroom.

Draco was standing in front of Harry's bed; looking immaculate even in the silver satin pajamas he was now wearing. He was seriously considering something that was spread out on the bed and Harry slipped up behind him and embraced him as he looked over his shoulder. There were three pairs of pajamas laid out on the bed. One in emerald green, one in Gryffindor red, and the last one was a satin gold to compliment the set Draco was wearing.

"Now which one should you wear today Harry?" Draco asked as if it was the most serious problem in the world. Harry laughed and tussled his boyfriend's hair, causing that oh so adorable expression of indignation to flit across Draco's face.

"How about the only one you'll let me wear," Harry said, picking up the gold set as Draco straightened his hair in the mirror. He changed quickly and joined Draco as they headed down the hall. Peter was just changing places with Lilly and, as a result of being the last one up, ended up with only a lukewarm shower.

"Seriously it's not fair on the mornings Draco stays over," he complained as they passed him, "you two take up all the hot water."

"Well then you should get up before us," Harry replied cheekily as they started down the stairs.

"I usually am," Peter grumbled as he closed the door.

The two boys walked downstairs to the kitchen where Mrs. Potter and the newly arrived Mrs. Weasley were back to back, literally whirling up a storm over breakfast. A rather sedate looking Mrs. Granger, who was doing her best to stay out of the way, was watching them. The two boys stopped in the doorway to observe the scene.

"Watch those eggs Molly," Mrs. Potter called out.

"I see em Lily," Mrs. Weasley responded flicking her wand towards the fry pan. The newly cooked scrambled eggs flew out of the pan onto a serving plate as they were replaced in the pan with the next batch. "Toast is up Lilly," Mrs. Weasley said as she rotated around to face the other side of the room. Mrs. Potter sent the popped toast sailing onto the growing stack while guiding fresh slices of bread into the toaster.

"Come now boys," Mrs. Malfoy said from behind them, "Leave them to it and breakfast will be ready in no time." She guided them into the living room where Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley were discussing politics while sipping tea and Ginny, Hermione, and Mr. Granger were trying to teach Conner how to beat Ron at wizard's chess.

"I told you its no good," Ron said as he finished the game with a flourish.

"I'll beat you one day," Conner said confidently as his battered pieces wearily crawled back into their bag.

"I'm sure you will," Mrs. Malfoy said, patting the youngest Potter on the shoulder, "Breakfast is almost ready." At this statement the rest of the Weasley clan popped into existence and said their hellos and Merry Christmases to everyone. Harry and Draco found themselves pressed up against the wall with Mrs. Malfoy and Conner in the sudden influx of bodies in the room.

"Why don't you ever cook Mrs. Malfoy?" Conner asked. Harry looked curiously at Draco's mother, having never thought to ask the question himself. Mrs. Malfoy's eyes twinkled as she crouched down to be on the same level as the six-year old.

"I'm not very good at the fast paced cooking those two like to work with," she said, "but if you come into the kitchen after lunch, you'll see me cook up more of a storm than both of them combined." Harry didn't believe it for a moment. He'd only ever seen his mother out cooked by Mrs. Weasley. He looked over at Draco and found that the blonde's eyes were twinkling with the exact same kind of mischief as his mother's.

"Breakfast is ready," Mrs. Potter called from the doorway. Everyone stood and made their way to the dining room. Harry never appreciated magic more than he did on Christmas Day. Their normally cozy dining room, ideal for the family to eat in, was expanded to comfortably sit everyone. In fact, every room in the house was made larger to accommodate all the families involved. Though it was fun to see everyone seated around the table, and to talk to Charlie and Bill about their adventures, Harry found himself wishing for some alone time with Draco. Draco seemed to share his thoughts because the two boys finished eating before anyone else had half finished their plates.

"We'll be in the living room," Harry said as he and Draco cleared their plates.

"I'll go with them," Conner piped up, getting up to clear his plate.

"Why don't you stay here and chat with me," Mrs. Malfoy said, pushing the youngest Potter back into his chair, "It's been a while since I had a conversation with such a fine young man as yourself. Tell me…" Harry and Draco couldn't stop grinning as the closing living room door cut off Mrs. Malfoy's voice.

"Your mom has a great sense of timing," Harry said, sitting down on one of the couches near the Christmas tree.

"We have a signal set up," Draco said calmly, lying down so his head was resting in Harry's lap, "It's usually only used when we're at my house, but I gave her the signal just now to say we wanted to be alone."

"Oh so that's why she always knows when to leave the room when we're over at your place," Harry said grinning at the blonde. He swung his legs up on the couch too, so that he was lying next to Draco. He bent down and lightly kissed the blonde but was surprised to see the blonde's eyes narrowed in concern when he pulled back. "What?" he asked.

"When did you cut your forehead?" Draco asked, worry etched into his features.

"My forehead?" Harry said, putting a hand to his brow. He didn't feel any blood, or see any on his hand.

"Yeah," Draco went on, reaching up to trace a finger across Harry's head, "you have this neat little scar right here. Looks almost like a lightning bolt. Very cool looking, though I bet it hurt to get cut." A flicker of a memory shot through Harry's mind to fast to latch onto. _Green light? Was that a scream? _He shook the thoughts away and landed on the only plausible solution he could think of.

"I probably just hit a branch while practicing Quidditch out back," Harry reasoned. Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I swear," the blonde said, "you are so single minded when you play that game. If it weren't for the fact that you know my name, I'd say you even forget about me when you're chasing that Snitch." Harry chuckled and kissed Draco reassuringly.

"I could never forget you Drake," Harry said, "You look too much like a Snitch." Draco's eyes widened in disbelief and then both boys burst out laughing.

"Only by you Ree," Draco said, still chuckling, "could being called a Snitch turn into a compliment."

"Of course it's a compliment," Harry said trying to sound indignant and only managing to come off as more comical, "What else would I chase after with such reckless abandon?" That set Draco off laughing again.

"What's so…"

"Funny?" a pair of voices asked, surprising the two boys from their mirth.

"I get rid of one, and two more pop up," Draco complained as Lucy and Sean came around and sat on one of the other couches. The twins were identical in everything except gender. They had the same eyes, nose, mouth, and were the same height. They were also currently wearing the same suspicious expression as they looked at their oldest brother and his boyfriend.

"Conner thought you'd gotten your mother," began Lucy.

"To keep him at table somehow," finished Sean. This was another odd thing about the twins. They constantly finished one another's sentences and Harry could only imagine what a field day that would give the teachers when they started at Hogwarts next year. Neither twin was particularly prone to mischief, but as was demonstrated by their arrival in the living room, they were perfectly willing to help a mastermind of mischief. In this case, that mastermind had been Conner.

"You know," Draco said, "Your youngest brother is more like you than you admit."

"What do you mean by that?" Harry said indignantly. He couldn't remember being so prying into someone else's life.

"You both look the same, both wear glasses, he's an excellent flyer already, he's a stubborn git, and he's a conniving little trickster who buts into other people's business," Draco said, grinning wider and wider with each trait mentioned. Harry's look of outrage grew proportionately to the size of Draco's grin and both twins were now laughing at Draco's all too accurate description of both Harry and Conner.

"I'll show you conniving," Harry said, taking out his wand. He pointed it at the couch that Lucy and Sean were sitting on first, sticking them to it and then overturning the couch so they couldn't see Harry or Draco. Then he kissed Draco hard. Hard enough for the blonde's eyes to flutter closed and his arms to go around Harry's neck, where they were promptly locked in place by another flick of Harry's wand. Draco's eyes shot open as Harry's hand slipped under the waistband of his pajamas. A few seconds of coaxing was all it took, and if it hadn't been for the silencing charm Harry had used, the entire dinning room would have heard Draco's moaning. Harry pulled his hand out and withdrew to the other side of the sofa, licking his hand clean while staring possessively at Draco like a cat. Draco glared at his boyfriend as he turned his own wand on his lower parts cleaning up the mess with a flick.

"You'd better be careful, oh conniving one," Draco said, still catching his breath, "Or you'll ruin your Christmas present." Harry grinned as he finished licking off his fingers.

"I'm sure it'll taste just as good tonight," Harry said as Lucy and Sean climbed over the couch and righted it.

"What will," Sean asked.

"Taste as good?" Lucy finished, sitting back down on the couch and glaring at Harry.

"Oh nothing," Harry told his younger siblings. The twins exchanged worried looks.

"Conner won't be happy," Lucy said.

"That we let them do something," Sean added, "We just can't keep up,"

"With either of them," finished Lucy. Draco rolled his eyes as he sat up and pulled Harry back into a tight hug, making sure to take the boy's wand and put it on the table beside the couch. Harry looked up at the blonde adoringly, nuzzling Draco's shoulder with his head, causing the blonde to roll his eyes again.

"You act too much like a cat," Draco said, "and you two," he went on before Sean or Lucy could interrupt, "don't have to finish each other's sentences just because you can." The twins grinned at that.

"Does it aggravate,"

"you Draco Malfoy?"

Draco growled dangerously and sent two pillows to go flying at the twins repeatedly with his wand.

"No fair," Sean complained diving behind the couch as his pillow came around for another pass, "we can't use magic." Draco laughed and let the pillows drop.

"Well you're using some kind of magic to talk like that," he reasoned, "mine is just a bit more… refined." The twins stuck their tongues out at him but stayed behind the couch in case Draco sent the pillows after them again. "Have you taught all of your siblings how to do that so perfectly?" he asked Harry. Harry just grinned, rolling over Draco so that he was once more behind the blonde.

"They learn from example," he said. Draco rolled his eyes and resigned himself to having to wait until later for some alone time. With such an energetic youngster at the table, it didn't take long for the rest of the family members and guests to finish eating. Conner was flitting in and out of the living room, pulling people here, and sitting people there. When everyone had been arranged to his satisfaction he cleared his throat and stood on a footstool in front of the Christmas tree.

"Noble friends and family," he began, only to be promptly showered with pillows by his older siblings. "Now that the annual pillow bombardment has been completed," he pressed on, now grinning, "it is time to decide at which end of the time line we get to begin the present opening in." He picked up a large top hat and held it out to Harry. "The eldest child of the hosting family gets to pick," he said. Harry rolled his eyes at Conner's assumed formality and stuck his hand in the hat. He pulled out a single sheet of parchment and looked at it, "Youngest," he read aloud. Conner beamed.

"You always pick the right one Harry," he said before upending the hat over Harry's head. Harry had been expecting this and had surreptitiously reclaimed his wand. He pointed it at the hat and succeeded in preventing even one piece of parchment from falling out. Conner looked up inside the hat to see what was wrong and Harry released the spell, causing all the parchments to fall onto Conner's head. The room burst out laughing and Conner, laughing right along with everyone else, threw the hat back to Harry. Harry easily caught it and then quickly placed it on Draco's head. The blonde gave a yelp as a slightly rumpled Crookshanks, who proceeded to remain stationary on top of Draco's head, forced the hat off.

"You tried the same trick at the beginning of the week Conner," Harry said, grinning as Draco bodily removed the cat and placed it on the floor. "You must be running out of ideas." The six-year old puffed up indignantly and then couldn't hold his laughing in and spent five minutes rolling around on the floor.

"If you're not going to go Conner," Eve piped up, standing and heading towards the tree, "then I guess it's the next-youngest's turn." Conner went from the floor by Harry's feet to the stool in under a second glaring at his older sister.

"Of course I'm going," he said, turning to face the tree. "Oh green tree of Christmas white, pick me a present fair and bright," he said. The air around the Christmas tree shimmered for a second, and then one of the presents at the bottom of the tree slid out towards Conner. Christmas morning had begun and it lasted well into the afternoon with so many presents to open. It was with much relief that Harry and Draco slipped back upstairs while the others were occupied.

"Can I have my present now?" Harry asked in a soft voice as he lay next to the blonde on his bed. Draco chuckled and moved a lock of Harry's hair back off of his forehead.

"Didn't I tell you to wait till tonight?" Draco responded softly. Harry pouted at that but Draco succeeded in removing the frown with a kiss and a well-placed hand. "Don't worry Ree," he said, "tonight will be the best Christmas present you've ever had."

"Harry! Draco!" Hermione's voice sounded from downstairs, "Come on! We're all going sledding!" Harry sighed and sat up.

"I guess I'll have to wait after all," he said resignedly. Draco chuckled and moved towards the closet. They changed quickly and joined the rest of the family downstairs. The four mothers were staying behind to continue cooking dinner, but Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Granger, and Mr. Weasley were accompanying the children.

"Now remember," Mr. Weasley said, sounding much more excited than any of the children about the trip, "we're going to the muggle sledding hill, so no magic whatsoever." All the children nodded. Harry grinned at the 'we know' expressions written across everyone's faces. Mr. Weasley had told them this five more times by the time they reached the hill. It became obvious that he was much more interested in watching the muggles than in sledding, but they had expected this of course. Mr. Granger stayed with him to make sure he didn't do anything too out of context.

"Your dad's a bit of a nutter Ron," Draco commented as they watched the younger kids go down the hill first.

"Tell me about it," Ron said as he helped arrange Eve on the sled with Hermione. The nine-year old was still a bit timid, and refused to sled down the hill alone, even though Conner was blasting down the hill at nearly breakneck speeds.

"If he wants to break his own neck that's his business," she replied when her father asked her about it. Harry had chuckled, reminded strongly of his mother's attitude when he had first taken to quidditch with such dedication.

"Of course it's my business," Conner said cheekily as he reached the top of the hill again, "It's my neck to break."

"But it isn't you who would be paying the Mungo's bill," Mr. Malfoy put in dryly, "Come now James, go for a run down with your son. I'll stay up here and keep an eye on everyone."

"I'm not so sure I could keep up with him Lucius," Mr. Potter said with a chuckle. The afternoon wore on and Harry and Draco each went down the hill a few times, but sledding had lost much of the luster for them that it used to have. They were looking forward to being back at school where they could have some real downhill fun.

Dinner that night was spectacular. Mrs. Malfoy had been true to her word, despite the fact that Conner and Harry had forgotten to check during the afternoon. The Potter table was covered with four different roasts and two turkeys. There were mashed potatoes, gravy, yorkshire pudding, cranberry sauce, creamed onions, and countless other dishes to be sampled and devoured. Dessert was an even more spectacular affair with pies and cakes of all flavors and sizes. After dinner, games were played and children were worn out. At about ten o'clock, Draco stole Harry upstairs on the pretense of needing to get to bed early so he could pack tomorrow, and kept his promise of making the night Harry's best Christmas present of all.

The next day it was time for Draco to head home. There was a week left before school started, but all four families had plans to host in-laws over new years. Harry helped Draco pack with some mixed feelings. Draco having to go home itself was bad enough, but it did mean they were coming close to the end of vacation. At school they had much more freedom to do what they wanted in their free time without having to worry about the most prying of Harry's siblings. On the other hand, it meant that Harry now had five days of visiting Dursley's to look forward to. His mother's sister and her family spent every new-years together. Dudley, the only child of the Dursley's, was terrified of the entire Potter family and what they would supposedly do to him if he stepped out of line. However, this only kept him quiet when the parents were around, because none of the children could use magic. Harry was wondering, now that he could legally use magic outside of school, if he would get the chance to curse his cousin this year.

"Ree?" Draco asked him, bringing Harry out of his thoughts.

"Sorry Drake," Harry said, grinning apologetically at the blonde, "Just thinking about next week."

"Well don't let those muggles get you down too much love," Draco said kissing Harry lightly, "Father and mother are taking the relatives around France one day and I've gotten permission to stay here that day." He grinned mischievously. "Between Conner, you, and me, that fat cousin of yours won't know what hit him." Harry chuckled at his boyfriend's manner and kissed him one more time. "See you in a few days," Draco said, and then apperated with a pop. Harry sighed and went downstairs. He collapsed onto the couch and covered his eyes with his arm. His aunt and uncle didn't know that Harry was dating another boy, and Harry could only imagine the reaction of the conservatively minded Dursleys.

"Well now that you're Harry again and no longer Draco's breathing device," Conner said dryly from the armchair across from the couch.

"Conner!" their mother said, "Don't talk like that." She had been passing by the door to the living room and had apparently overheard her youngest son's comment. Conner didn't even looked ashamed, but made a face that suggested he was disgusted with himself for being so careless.

"Anyway," he went on, "Now that Draco is gone, we can get our match in." Harry moved his arm slightly so he could see what Conner meant by match. Sure enough, Conner produced the Potter family board game from behind the armchair and placed it on the coffee table. The game itself was similar to muggle risk but with a magical twist to it. Their dad had designed it many years before, back when Harry had been younger than Conner was now, saying that any Potter at Hogwarts must have determination, tact, skill, and luck, the four things that were required to win the game. Rather than leaving the army's victory up to the roll of the dice, Wizard's Risk allowed the player to control and manipulate the army directly. Much like Wizard's Chess the pieces moved on their own, but instead of taking verbal orders, it was all mentally commanded. For years, Harry had been the best at the game, and as a consequence, he was now the only member of the family willing to play Conner at it.

"Okay, it's all set up," Conner said sitting back in his armchair. Harry had determined many years before while hopelessly beating his father and younger siblings at the game, that there was no fun in paying full attention to the board. It was much more challenging for him if he didn't look at the game and Conner had adopted this challenge as well. With the game set up between them, Harry once more covered his eyes with his arm, and Conner put the armchair back into reclining position, staring up at the ceiling.

Harry grinned as the game progressed. He could tell from the nervousness of his pieces that Conner's army was growing. He also knew that his regular army had been made successfully ignorant of Harry's real plan, so that Conner wouldn't get wind of it. Several times throughout the match, Harry heard some of the family pass through the living room during the game and stop to watch them briefly. Their father actually sat down in one of the other chairs to watch how his two sons played the game. The twins stopped by only for an instant and one look at Harry was all they needed to know that their eldest brother was going to win hands down. On the final turn, Harry opened his eyes and looked across the board at Conner in the armchair.

"You're going to lose," he said simply. Conner sat up and checked the board before him. He couldn't believe Harry was saying that with the way things were set up. Even as he checked his holdings though, the colors of his army began to change. The black pieces that were garrisoning his rear holdings had shifted red and suddenly Conner's stronghold was completely surrounded by Harry's forces. Without even prompting for surrender, Harry marched his army up to the gate and left them their waiting. Conner narrowed his eyes trying to figure out what had happened, when the gate to his stronghold dropped and a red flag rose on the parapet. Harry marched his army in and captured Conner's general. "I told you," Harry said, grinning across the board at his younger brother. Conner's mouth opened and closed several times as he contemplated the board in front of him.

"You snuck your own pieces into Conner's towns… and then had them volunteer for his army?" Their father asked, examining the board with almost as much intensity as Conner. Harry shrugged and sat up.

"Not really," he said, taking out his wand and causing the game to rewind, "I just slipped five recruiters behind his lines during the first big skirmish. From then on, they were quietly recruiting Conner's reserve army." Conner nodded thoughtfully as he watched Harry's strategy unfold before him. Their father just shook his head and left the room, apparently giving up on trying to outguess his oldest son.

"I should have expected a back door attack," Conner said, sitting back, "considering you have a boyfriend." Harry grinned. His younger brother never passed up a chance to make jokes about Harry's love life. The grin turned to a chuckle as a spatula materialized over Conner's head and whacked him.

"CONNER! You should not ever make comments like that! Am I clear?" Their mother shouted from the kitchen.

"Yes mom," Conner called back rubbing his head. The boy cocked an eye at his grinning brother and Harry pointed surreptitiously at the portrait over the fireplace. Conner glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and immediately saw the suspicious ear-horn peeking around the frame. He made a face at being caught twice in one day and then jumped as their mother spoke again, this time from right behind him.

"Now remember you two, my sister and her family are arriving tonight, so clean up before dinner." Conner groaned and slumped down in his chair. "I've put a second heating charm on the water tank, and everybody, yes even you Conner, is to shower and be dressed in their best muggle clothing by six. Petunia won't be arriving late or early, just to prove a point…" She wandered back into the kitchen still making comments about her sister. Harry checked his watch. _Quarter-to-four_, he thought grumpily. Not even enough time to pop over to Draco's and see if he was all unpacked.

"I'll get the first shower," Harry said, "No point in delaying the inevitable…"

"Especially when the Dursleys are coming anyway," Conner muttered softly enough for the ear-horn not to pick it up. Harry chuckled as he headed upstairs. The blistering hot water from the doubly charmed tank felt amazing and almost succeeded in burning the looming prospect of his relatives visit from his mind. He combed his hair, knowing full well that his aunt would complain to his parents if he left it messy like he usually did. Taking a leaf from Draco's book, he dried his hair carefully with his wand, making sure that it remained slicked back the entire time. He headed back to his room to change. He closed the door and had taken only two steps towards his closet when he was on his back staring up at two yellow feline eyes peering at him from the face of the largest panther he'd ever seen.

The cat examined him closely; it's huge paws holding him down by the shoulders. Harry was thankful that the claws were retracted as they could have easily pinned him to the floor. The cat seemed to be satisfied with its inspection because it began purring. Harry felt his entire body shake with the sound and was fairly certain that the floor under him was vibrating as well. The feline lowered its head and nuzzled Harry's cheek with surprising gentleness.

_Wake up Gryffindor._

Harry stared up at the cat. Had it just spoken?

"Harry? You left your wand in the-" Conner stopped dead in the doorway as he took in the sight of the giant black cat pinning his older brother to the floor. The cat took one look at the youngest Potter and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_Wake up!_

Harry shook his head as he sat up, trying to figure out what had just happened. "What was that?" Conner asked, still frozen in the door.

"I don't know," Harry said honestly, "I was just walking to the closet and the next thing I know, I'm on the floor with that thing on top of me." He shook his head. "I'll tell dad about it later," he said taking his wand from Conner. "Shower, remember?" Harry prompted his brother. Conner gave a little start and headed back to the bathroom. Harry looked thoughtfully at the place where the panther had been. He went to his desk immediately and wrote out two letters, quickly explaining what had happened. His father was the last person Harry was going to tell. He liked his dad well enough, but telling his father about a giant cat in his room would practically invite a full magical search and he and Draco had a few charms set up that Harry wasn't too keen on the rest of the family learning about.

"Hedwig," he called out his window. The snowy owl landed softly with a hoot on his windowsill. "I need you to take this letter to Hermione. Once she's written a reply take this one to Sirius. Don't leave either of them alone until they've written a response." Harry chewed on his lower lip for a second and then made another decision. "Come back tomorrow morning," he added slipping a small pouch around Hedwig's foot along with the scroll cylinder. Hedwig hooted and nipped his ear affectionately before launching out of the window.

Harry set about dressing for the evening and mentally thanked Draco for the thousandth time for taking him shopping in both the magical and muggle worlds. He chose a pair of dark green trousers that could be mistaken for black without too much effort, but which were still green enough to have satisfied Draco when they bought them, with a silver satin collarless shirt. He topped the whole thing off with a green suit coat to match the trousers. With his attire completed, he went to his desk and tapped the top drawer with his wand. A jewelry box rose out of the desk, the lid carved with an intertwining snake and lion symbol. Harry grinned as he brushed his fingers over the design before opening the box. It was in here that Harry kept all of the incredibly expensive things that Draco insisted on showering him with, whether Harry, or anyone else, wanted him to or not. Tonight, Harry chose a silver necklace with an emerald-eyed serpent and fastened it around his neck. He also took the diamond-studded wristwatch and the intricately crafted ring that he and Draco jokingly referred to as an engagement ring. The ring was the only piece in the box that had a duplicate anywhere in existence. That duplicate sat in an identical box in Draco's room.

After checking himself in the mirror, Harry felt that even Draco would have found no complaint with his outfit. He pushed the dress shoes onto his feet and made sure there were no extra creases in his clothing. Then he went to his desk and took out the last thing he was going to do tonight. For years his cousin Dudley had been making snide remarks about Harry's glasses. Tonight, Harry wasn't going to give him the chance. Harry picked up the spell he and Draco had cooked up for tonight. He mentally recited it while placing the tip of his wand to his temple. When he had reached the end of the spell, an incantation unlike most magic that was now practiced in the Wizarding World for anything serious, his vision suddenly became very blurry. Harry reached up and removed his glasses. The world instantly snapped back into focus and Harry grinned. He placed his glasses in the jewelry box before tapping it again with his wand. The box sank back into his desk and Harry slid his wand into the special pocket Draco had added to the inside of the left sleeve of his coat.

He stepped out of his bedroom just as Conner was coming out of his room down the hall. His younger brother glanced at him and then did a double take. "Who are you, and where's Harry?" he said. Harry chuckled and put a hand on Conner's back, guiding his younger brother to the stairs. Conner's best muggle clothing consisted of a black suit with a red dress shirt. Conner avoided wearing a tie, much like Harry, but he still preferred shirts with a collar.

"Are we acceptable mother?" Harry asked as he and Conner entered the kitchen. Mrs. Potter turned to look at her two sons and nodded appreciatively at their dress.

"When did Draco take you shopping again Harry?" she asked as she looked her eldest son up and down, "and how much do we owe him this time?" Harry grinned at his mother.

"I apologize ma'am, but I've been sworn to secrecy on pain of being denied a certain blonde's kisses for the rest of my known life," Harry responded. His mother rolled her eyes but nodded approvingly at his clothing anyway.

"Well at least he knows what to buy you," she said looking her youngest son over. She gave a little flick of her wand and Conner's wild hair fell neatly into place. "There you go," she said looking satisfied, "We're going to greet our guests by the front door so you can go wait in the hallway. Everyone else should be down shortly." Harry nodded and headed back to the hallway by the door.

The rest of the family appeared shortly. Eve was in a green skirt that fell to her mid shin. The twins had elected to dress in matching gender unspecific business suits of red and green for Christmas, and had arranged their hair to match each other exactly. Peter had chosen a navy blue suit with a tie, and Lily was wearing a slim fitting dress of silver that seemed to shimmer and cling to her. Their father was dressed most like Peter, though his suit was plum colored. Their mother appeared a minute later in a dress identical to Lily's except in gold to match her auburn hair.

No sooner had the whole family assembled than the sound of a car engine could be heard in the driveway. Mrs. Potter glanced surreptitiously out the window before giving her wand a flick behind her back. The interior of the house shifted suddenly to be an exact copy of the Malfoy Manor. The Potters found themselves standing in a grand entry hall with plenty of space to line up in.

"Right now," Mrs. Potter said turning around and winking at her family, "We have enough room to house everyone comfortably, so line up. James, you start there. Now Harry you stand next to him. Lily you next, then Peter. Come now Lucy- no you're Sean, you two have been spending too much time with Fred and George, trying to trick me like that, Lucy, here. Now it's your turn Sean. And then Eve, and finally Conner." She stepped back and examined the line. "Excellent," she said as the sound of knocking came from the door behind her.

Mrs. Potter swirled around and opened the door with a flourish. The three Dursleys looked even sharper than Harry remembered. His Aunt Petunia was in a full evening gown that fully rivaled both his mother's and his sister's dresses. His Uncle Vernon was actually wearing a tuxedo, but Harry privately thought that he was better dressed than the drill salesman. His cousin by contrast was dressed surprisingly like Harry's father and Peter, though the added weight that his cousin possessed made him look very uncomfortable.

The Dursleys had arrived at the Potter household, and the week promised to be an interesting one.

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Well now… I just couldn't resist having a bit more fun in dreamland, so here we go again. Unless Vin has some other ideas in store for me, I should have Harry back to reality next chapter. So feed the dragon and Harry gets to go back home where he is a fiery god and where (as one of my reviewers said back in chapter 17) Draco is a watery ninja of doom! Ciao folks.


	26. Chapter 25

So here we are now back again in dreamland. For those of you who forgot Harry's about to sit down to dinner with his least favorite people. So I won't ramble too long this time. Enjoy the chapter guys.

**Jujube15 –** Loads of fun yes… Here's another to chalk up in the dreamscape category. Meow!

**DestinyEntwinements –** At first I thought we would get to see what they do… but then I was told otherwise so we have what we have. Don't worry though; I still have a Dudley to torment in reality too. Thanks for reviewing as always.

**mis-HD** – well it didn't wake him up the first time… but anyway I'll let you see for yourself. Happy reading.

**Hiero Kaze** – Well I'm glad I avoided a rant lol. We get to enjoy the family a bit longer so have fun with it. Enjoy.

**moongoddess86 **– Thank for reviewing this mess lol. I'm doing my best to keep up the work… now if only I could get my writing professor to grade this monster… anyway enjoy.

**Vespalady** – I know you submitted your review for chapter 15 but I'm gonna respond here and hope you see it eventually. Yes indeed the thing the dragons did was go between lol. I've had a few people now catch these little references so I hope people indulge me with them a bit more. Hope you had fun reading the rest of it as much as you did the first half.

**NightFoxofPenDragon** – This review was submitted for chapter 6, but again I'm gonna respond here. Yes I have fire lizards hugs back anyway I look forward to more reviews so keep reading. And I wonder if you'll catch some of my other literary references later on, though no one else has mentioned them yet. Anywho, enjoy.

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**Chapter 25**

"Petunia, how wonderful to see you again," Mrs. Potter said, sounding as happy as could be. Neither sister was overly fond of the other, but both families tried their hardest to act civil during the annual visit. Harry always toed the line of politeness, just to see how far his mother would let him get before reeling him in. Conner had picked up on that habit just like he had for many of Harry's other little games.

"My Lilly, you certainly look gorgeous," Aunt Petunia simpered, giving her sister a quick hug, "and would you just look at this place. You didn't tell us you'd redecorated."

"Oh it's nothing much," Mr. Potter said, "A change of scenery gives everyone a nice fresh start."

"It certainly doesn't look as big from the outside," Uncle Vernon said, glancing around the entrance hall. His eyes came to rest on the line of children standing there to greet their relatives. His gaze traveled from the right, starting with Conner, all the way to the left, passing over each Potter in turn until they finally came to rest on Harry. When Mrs. Potter had transformed the interior of the house, a decorative column had appeared right next to Harry. The Gryffindor had decided to play a bit of the rebel and was now leaning casually against it with his hands in his pockets, at odds with his siblings who were all standing up straight.

"You've certainly changed since last year Harry," his Uncle started off jovially, "you look like a right businessman now. But really James, you should teach the boy not to slouch." Harry resisted the urge to make a face. The Dursleys hadn't been in the house ten minutes and the first criticism had been made. Of course, Harry had invited it as a test to see how the week was going to go, and his Uncle had just failed miserably.

"I could stand up straight," Harry said thoughtfully, "but you know at school it's always 'stand up straight, sit up straight, sleep straight' you know? It's nice to have a bit of a break when at home." Harry watched his relative's faces to see what reaction the word "school" was going to evoke but the Dursleys kept their expressions in check, at least for now.

"Well isn't that a pretty necklace you're wearing Harry," Aunt Petunia said, trying to change the subject to a more desirable one.

"Oh this?" Harry asked, bringing his left hand up to indicate the necklace and bringing both the ring and the diamond-studded watch into plain view, "yes it was a gift for my birthday a few summers back. He raised his eyes subtly to watch the Dursleys' expressions. His Uncle looked as if he was trying hard to figure out what to say, while his Aunt was looking politely curious. There was unconcealed desire written all over his cousin's pudgy face.

"Don't you think that's a rather expensive birthday present?" Uncle Vernon finally said, turning to Mr. Potter.

"Oh, we didn't buy it for him," Mr. Potter said vaguely. He always enjoyed Harry's little games and never contradicted his son directly when it came to it.

"Where'd you get that awful scar Harry?" his aunt asked, trying once more to change the subject away from touchy matters.

"I don't think it's awful, I think it looks kind of cool." He reached up and traced a finger along the lightning bolt scar. The green light and screaming flashed through his mind again and the screaming lingered this time. He ignored it for now, concentrating instead on his aunt's response to his comment.

"Oh look at the time," Mrs. Potter interrupted from down the line, preventing Harry from ever hearing his aunt's inevitable critique, "Supper should be just about ready. James, why don't you show everyone into the dining room? Harry, you come with me and get drinks for everyone." Harry grimaced to himself. His mother could easily serve everything with just a flick of her wand, which meant that he had already pushed the boundaries a little too far.

"What on earth has gotten into you," his mother said the instant the kitchen door had closed. "Every year you bait them, despite however many times I've told you not to." She was flicking her wand around the kitchen, causing bottles and jugs to fly out and organize themselves on the counter.

"But they aren't sincere mother," Harry said as he took his own wand out and began to float the drinks up into the air, "and they always complain about everything. They're just trying to make our lives difficult."

"Precisely," his mother said, "That is exactly why we must try to give them no further reason to find fault with anything. Now out you go with those drinks and mind you. It's pumpkin juice for Conner, Eve, and the twins, butterbeers for you, Lily, Peter, and Dudley, and wine for the adults." Harry nodded and headed out the door into the dining room. He kept his wand safely tucked out of site while maintaining the levitation spell. He didn't want the Dursleys to know he could use magic at home. At least, not yet anyways. As he sat down at his place, Dudley was looking dubiously at the bottle in front of him.

"What's this?" he asked, trying to peer inside the bottle without putting his face directly above the opening.

"That looks like a beer," Uncle Vernon observed from a few seats down, "You should ask before serving a student alcohol," he added reaching over to pick up the bottle, "really James, allowing your children to drink beer at home. They'll become deadbeats if you keep this up." Harry knew his eyes had flashed briefly with rage by the small crack that had appeared in the bottle Uncle Vernon was holding. He swore at himself for nearly losing control and took his wand out under the table. _Reparo_ he thought. The crack on the side of the bottle mended before anyone had even noticed it being there.

"It's not beer, Vernon," Mr. Potter said with a small smile, "It's butterbeer. It's non-alcoholic I assure you. Why the only creature ever recorded as being able to get drunk off a butterbeer was a house-elf and they have a tolerance in the negatives!" He chuckled at his own joke as Uncle Vernon set the bottle back down on the table. Harry had a flash of a memory of a drunken house-elf, but he couldn't remember where or when he had seen it.

The rest of dinner went fairly normally. Harry spent the majority of time thinking about Draco and what trouble he could cause when the blonde came to visit in two days. He was also looking forward to a response from Hermione and Sirius come the morning.

His anticipation caused him to wake before dawn the next morning. He slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Conner who was sharing his room for the week, and headed to the window. He slipped outside and stood in his bare feet on the porch roof, scanning the horizon for any sign of his snowy-white owl. As the sun began to rise over the hills to the east, he saw the flickering of light on white wings as Hedwig soared down to the house. Harry raised his arm excitedly, not even feeling the cold roof under his feet, or the wind whipping at his pajamas. He took the first letter from the message tube and unrolled it eagerly.

_Harry,  
I've never heard of any curses or hexes that can  
produce an actual animal when the caster is not  
present. I'm going to check some more books  
and if I find anything, I'll send it along with  
Pigwidgeon. If you see the panther again, don't  
panic. Don't make any sudden movements and it  
won't hurt you.  
See you at school,  
Hermione._

Harry rolled his eyes at the letter. He was glad that Hermione had taken him seriously enough to look into it for him, but she had once more proven that she was a bookworm by offering textbook advice on how to avoid being gored. He pulled out the next piece of parchment, hopping for a little bit more practical advice from his godfather.

_Good to hear from you Ree.  
Sounds like you've got a nice little spirit animal  
there following you around. Though little sounds  
like an understatement. Remus thinks it might be  
your guide animal popping out to tell you something.  
I don't know about all that guiding stuff, but  
if you do have a giant black panther watching out  
for you, it's probably a good thing. Give the  
family our love, and tell them Tonks, Remus, and  
I are enjoying ourselves down here in the tropics.  
Happy Christmas,  
Padfoot, Moony, and Tonks.  
P.S. I hope you and Drake are doing well. Tell  
blondie I said hi._

Harry chuckled at his godfather's letter but couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Neither Hermione nor Sirius had given him much help. He climbed back inside and put the letters in his desk. He'd look in his father's study for any books about spirit animals.

"Good morning my green-eyed beauty," Draco whispered in his ear. Harry opened his eyes and found the blonde crouched next to his bed, staring intently at him. It had been two days since the Dursleys' arrival and Harry hadn't found anything useful out about the panther in the short intervals he'd had between family activities. He grinned as he leaned forward and kissed Draco.

"Morning love," he said pushing the covers off.

"Morning breath, more like it," Draco said making a face. Harry chuckled.

"Ungh Harry, it's too early to get up," Conner said from the other side of the bed. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled the covers back over his younger brother. The sun had barely risen he realized, but he was up anyways and Draco was here too.

"What's he doing in here?" Draco whispered as Harry grabbed a set of clothing for the day and headed for the bathroom.

"Our cousin is sleeping in his room for the week," Harry whispered back, "C'mon, I have to shower."

"Well what a coincidence," Draco replied as they got into the bathroom, "I could use a shower myself." The blonde locked the door and proceeded to undress. He ducked into the shower ahead of Harry, causing the Gryffindor to snort indignantly.

"Hey, I was going to take the first shower this morning," Harry complained. Draco just rolled his eyes and pulled Harry into the shower with him. The taller boy was a bit surprised as a grinning Draco turned on the water, instantly soaking them both.

"Now isn't this better than having me sit out there and wait for you?" Draco asked seductively, sliding up against Harry and kissing him. Harry suppressed a moan and mentally cursed himself for not silencing the bathroom first. Draco reached behind him and grabbed the shampoo. He began to thoroughly scrub Harry's head when the taller boy suddenly dropped to his knees. Draco gasped as he realized what Harry was about to do. He continued to wash Harry's hair out of reflex as he became lost in the sensation of Harry's mouth. Draco sank to his knees as well, once he had rinsed all the soap out of his boyfriend's hair and lay back in the tub. When he had finished his work, Harry slid up and kissed Draco passionately.

"Much better than showering alone he murmured into Draco's ear. The blonde grinned tiredly as he sat up. The two boys spent the better part of an hour in shower before Harry reached up and turned the water off. They dried and dressed quickly and, after a quick check to make sure no one would see them both step out of the bathroom, they headed downstairs. As they entered the kitchen, Harry noticed the clock chiming out six in the morning.

"You must have been up very early to arrive here by five Drake," Harry commented as he started some water boiling.

"I told you I needed a shower," Draco responded, "Because I hadn't taken one before I left." Harry grinned at his boyfriend as the blonde sat on one of the stools. The grin froze on his face as he saw a familiar black panther stalk through the door behind Draco. The cat walked right up behind the blonde and Harry watched as it put its paws up on the counter, its head actually passing through the blonde as if the boy weren't there.

_Are you ready to wake up son of flame?_

Harry was speechless as the cat peered at him intently. Another movement from the doorway drew Harry's gaze away from the panther as a vaguely humanoid figure stepped into the room. The only thing Harry could think of was that the thing was one of those angels that Hermione had told him about. It was shining with a brilliant, silver white light and had great feathery wings extending from its back.

_You cannot force him, Lance. He must come back on his own._

_But Slytherin waits for him Master Seldolorien._

_Come Lance that is enough._

Harry couldn't tell which was speaking as both voices sounded identical to him. The panther looked once more at Harry and then vanished again into smoke. The angel stepped into the room further and drew back its wings, revealing a sword at its side, and another in its hand.

_When you are ready Gryffindor, Son of Flame, Guardian of Fire, your sword shall show the way._

The angel dropped the sword in its hand and Harry watched as it stuck into the stone floor of the kitchen, pulsing with the same brilliant light of the angel. Harry looked up to the angel again, only to find that the being had vanished from the room.

"Harry? Did you fall asleep?" Draco was asking him. Harry shook his head to clear it. There was no longer a sword sticking into the kitchen floor and Draco was peering at him curiously.

"Yeah, I think I did," Harry said, trying to shake the afterimage of the angel from his vision. A spirit animal is what Sirius had told him. So why was it telling him to wake up? And who was that other figure?

"You going to make the tea or not?" Draco said a hint of a smile playing across his face. Harry stuck his tongue out at the blonde and picked up the whistling pot off the stove. "I guess I shouldn't mess around with you so early in the morning," the Slytherin continued slyly, "you obviously can't handle the activity so soon after waking up."

"If we were at school," Harry retorted as he passed Draco a cup of tea, "I'd show you exactly how much I can handle in the mornings, even if it meant missing classes."

"Oh turning into quite the rebel now aren't we?" Draco responded with a grin. The grin widened as he sipped the tea and the blonde looked up appreciatively. "I never see you in the kitchen Harry, so who do I have to thank for this excellent cup of tea." Harry chuckled at Draco's comment and flicked his wand behind him. The kitchen sprang to life, beginning to prepare breakfast for when the rest of the family woke up.

"Well you know," Harry said as he surveyed the self-propelled cookware, "After we finish school, one of us is going to half to know how to cook, or else we'd both starve." Draco chuckled.

"So our engagement is still on then?" he commented with a grin, "I haven't seen you wearing your ring much, so I was getting kind of worried." Harry stuck his tongue out again and found himself captured into a kiss. "You're serious about it right?" the blonde asked, his voice no more than a whisper.

"I can't imagine life without you Drake," Harry replied softly, "I'll stay with you with or without vows."

"That sounds awfully like a vow itself Ree," Draco said putting his hand up to Harry's cheek, "I made that promise too, remember?" Harry nodded and took Draco's hand in his, feeling the two engagement rings rub against each other.

"You two are lucky I woke up before my sister," Mrs. Potter said, coming into the kitchen and surprising the two boys out of their moment, "honestly, so engrossed that you didn't even hear me come downstairs." Despite her manner there was a grin spreading over her face.

"Aw mom, I knew you'd wake up first," Harry said. He and Draco were still holding hands but they had moved apart so their foreheads were no longer touching. His mother looked around the kitchen, surprised to find everything in motion and breakfast already half made.

"When did you learn to cook, Draco?" she asked sitting down at the counter and taking the cup of tea Harry handed her. Draco was in the middle of a sip and just pointed at Harry to proclaim his innocence. Mrs. Potter turned to her eldest son questioningly and saw him flick his wand at the oven, causing the scones inside to flip over of their own accord. "Harry is cooking?"

"Ugh I don't want breakfast then," Conner spoke up coming into the kitchen. Harry stuck his tongue out at his younger brother and waved his wand, sending one of the finished scones and the bowl of Devonshire Cream floating over to the six-year-old. Conner sniffed at the scone and the cream before breaking off a corner and tasting it. The boy's expression changed almost immediately and he spread the cream thickly on the rest of the scone before devouring it.

"Not only is he cooking," Draco commented as he watched the youngest Potter demolish the scone, "he is apparently cooking very well." Harry grinned and landed scones in front of his mother and boyfriend, summoning the cream away from his gluttonous brother in the process.

The rest of the household woke up in predictable order. Aunt Petunia, unused to sleeping late in the first place, was the next up. She had a bit of a shock when she came into the kitchen and saw a blonde head sitting there. It was probably a bit more of a shock when she saw that it was Harry waving a wand around and serving breakfast. She tactfully kept quiet about this last discovery and was very polite with Draco around.

The smell of the sizzling bacon brought Dudley down next. Harry's portly cousin sauntered into the kitchen and stopped in utter confusion. All the stools at the counter were full, but Harry, his rival among the Potter children, Harry whom he teased and picked on, four-eyed Harry with his tousled hair, Harry who had smashed every stereotype Dudley had ever shoved him into on the first night of the Dursleys' annual visit this year, was standing behind the counter doing the one thing that terrified and outraged Dudley more than anything else. He waved his wand through the air, and an empty seat appeared at the counter, complete with a plate full of bacon, eggs, and a scone.

"Morning Dudley," Harry said cheerfully as he flicked his wand casually behind him, continuing to cook more breakfast for those not yet awake, "Come sit down and have some breakfast." Harry watched, hiding his smile as Dudley's sense of hunger warred with his sense of self-preservation, causing his cousin to perform this odd little hop step maneuver over to the chair.

"Why are you waving that thing around?" Dudley asked, "I thought kids weren't allowed to do magic outside of that… that… place." Dudley apparently couldn't call it a school.

"Oh, yes," Harry said, flipping the eggs over in the pan with another wand flick, "Children are not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts. A wizard is considered an adult at age 17 though, so I've been able to use magic outside of school since July." Dudley's eyes bulged and he stopped eating in the middle of a bite of bacon. Harry could almost see the wheels spinning in his cousin's mind. He'd been sleeping under the same roof with someone his own age that could legally use magic on him? Had he been cursed and didn't know it? Harry had to suppress his desire to burst out laughing as his cousin began eating again, apparently with great effort made to not run screaming from the room.

"So this is your cousin Harry?" Draco piped up from next to Dudley. Harry had purposefully conjured Dudley's seat so that the boy was sitting between Draco and Conner.

"Yep," Conner piped up, helping himself to another scone, "This is the one and only Dudley. The best cousin a kid could wish for." Dudley was looking increasingly more nervous at the seating arrangements, especially since his mother was having an involved conversation with Mrs. Potter.

"Oh Dudley, I haven't introduced you yet," Harry said. "This is Draco Malfoy. He's a very good friend of mine and one of my class mates. We're in the same year at Hogwarts, though he got sorted into Slytherin for some odd reason." Harry watched as the wheels started spinning again and suppressed another grin as it became evident that Dudley had made the connection between Draco being in the same year as Harry and being old enough to use magic legally.

"What do you mean odd reason," Draco piped up, "You're the conniving one. You could have been in Slytherin too. But no, you had to be noble and run off to Gryffindor." The blonde stuck his tongue out at Harry and Harry returned the action. He had another flash of an unknown memory of the sorting hat telling him that he could be in Slytherin. The odd part was that he was asking not to go to Slytherin in that memory. He shook it off again and turned his attention back to breakfast.

Once all the family had woken and everyone was served, Harry had another chance to sit and talk to his cousin. Draco and Conner had been talking circles around Dudley all through breakfast, though the boy was making a valiant effort to keep up with his two tormenters.

"So how did you get that ugly scar," Dudley said when Harry had taken a seat, "you never did tell us that first night."

"I don't think it's ugly," Draco said, "I think it's very dashing. I mean just look how it goes," he reached over and planted his finger on one end of the scar to trace it. Harry's vision exploded into green light. He didn't know where he was but there was screaming all around him. Then he heard his father's voice but it sounded much younger.

"Lilly! He's here. Take Harry and run. I'll hold him off."

What on earth was his father talking about? Where was this? Harry tried to stand up but found that he couldn't move. He saw his mother bend down above him and lift him up. _She looks like she's picking up a baby,_ Harry thought as she dashed up the stairs of their house with him clutched tight to his chest. She ran into his room, but it wasn't the room that Harry knew. There was a crib and the wall paper was different. It looked a lot like Conner's room had when his brother had been a year old. His mother set him down against the wall and took out her wand, facing the door. The door swung open and revealed a tall, gaunt looking man with sunken eyes.

"Stand aside foolish woman, I come only for the boy," the figure hissed.

"No," Harry's mother begged, "Don't take Harry. Kill me but don't kill Harry. Please!" His mother was begging this man. Harry couldn't understand. Why did this person want to kill him? With a shock he realized that if this was the person his father had been delaying that must mean his father was…

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The figure shouted and a jet of green light shot out of the man's wand. Harry watched speechless as his mother crumpled to the ground. The man looked contemptuously on the corpse in front of him before raising his wand to point at Harry. The killing curse once again issued from the man's mouth and a roaring sound filled Harry's ears drowning out the screams of the man who had killed his mother.

Harry bolted upright only to be engulfed in the embrace of a sobbing Draco. He was dimly aware of the shouting of the Dursley's in the hall. They were yelling something about Harry being a fagot but the Gryffindor found he didn't really care. He looked around at Draco and the blonde looked up at him.

"I'm so glad you're alright Harry," Draco hiccupped. "You just passed out suddenly downstairs. I carried you up here and tried to wake you up and your aunt and uncle didn't really approve of the kissing." The last bit came out somewhere between a sob and a chuckle. Draco trailed off when he saw the sad expression in Harry's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't belong here Draco," Harry said, finding the words even more difficult to say than he had thought. Draco just looked at him, not understanding what he meant. Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to remember. He wanted nothing more than to stay here in this place with Draco and his family. But the part of him that Draco loved, the noble part, knew that he was denying his Draco and this Draco's Harry from that same kind of happiness.

"It's that cat, isn't it?" Conner asked causing Harry to jump. He hadn't noticed the boy sitting at his desk across the room.

"What cat?" Draco asked, looking between the two brothers.

"A giant panther attacked Harry the before dinner the night the Dursleys arrived," Conner said, still staring intently at Harry.

"It didn't attack me," Harry explained gesturing to his desk and causing the letters he had written and the responses to fly into his hands, "it was trying to get me to remember who I am, at least, I think that's who I am. Here," he gave the letters to Draco and watched the boy grow even more confused.

"So this spiritual guide of yours is telling you that you don't belong here?" Draco asked after a bit. Harry shook his head.

"Arthur isn't my spiritual guide," he said, "He's the Apprentice Guardian of Light. The panther is just his spirit form." As he talked Harry saw the air along one wall of his room begin to shift and shimmer. As Draco and Conner digested that piece of information, Harry rolled back his right sleeve and examined the underside of his forearm. It was once again inflamed and there were white lines outlining the seal of Gryffindor. He didn't know if that was his true reality or not, but he refused to deny anyone the happiness that was theirs by birthright, even if it meant that he had to live in some sorrowful world on his own.

Harry stood up and walked halfway to the door before stopping. He didn't want to leave and he couldn't bring himself to move farther. To go downstairs and take up his sword was to give up this happiness. He knew it was the right thing to do but he couldn't force himself to move.

"You sleep, Gryffindor, yet you wish the Light would grant you vision."

"Such is the way of all things, you yearn for the day but comfort yourself in Shadows."

"The Fear of losing a family anchors you here."

"But the Hope you hold of finding reality pulls you away."

"You alone could Create a reality just for you."

"But that would Destroy someone else's reality."

"It is the Balance of all these that wakens you from sleep."

Harry turned to the wall, surprised to hear the voices so clearly and distinctly. He noticed vaguely that Draco and Conner had also heard the voices and were staring in shock at the previously empty room. Standing there at the end of the room was a vision straight from a fairy tale.

The shining figure of the angel stood in the center. Flying around him was a black butterfly that seemed to flit here and there faster than the eye could trace. On his right, a being made entirely of light that seemed to have no edges was waiting. Next to that being the panther from that morning was crouched. Beyond the light, there stood a giant dove nearly six feet tall. Next to it in a submissive position was a golden dragon that was only a head shorter than the dove. Next to them stood a blue heron and next to it, a monkey. On the other side of the angel stood ranged the exact opposite set of creatures. A pillar of darkness was first, and next to it was a dog that was waiting patiently for a command. Beyond them, a crow was waiting with a bear next to it. Finally the last things in line were a snake and a rat. On the floor in front of them all, a silver dragon was lying next to a golden lion.

Harry observed the scene and somehow knew what it meant. The guardians were waiting for him. He turned back to the Draco from this world and the boy he had called brother.

"I'm leaving now," he said, swallowing against the lump in his throat, "I hope your real Christmas is as fun as this one was." Without explaining what he meant by that he hurried from the room. He ignored the shouts from his aunt and uncle and the calls from his parents. He reached the kitchen and saw the sword that the angel had dropped that morning waiting for him. He approached it slowly and reached out to it.

"Harry!" Draco and Conner called out behind him. Harry turned to see the two boys standing in the doorway watching him. "Good luck Ree," Draco said, smiling at him.

"Hope you find your way back soon. Don't get lost," Conner put in. Harry smiled at the two of them and then closed his hand on the sword. He had been expecting to have to pull it out but instead he found himself sucked down into the floor. He had the sensation of falling a very long way and when he could no longer fathom how far he had fallen, his consciousness deserted him.

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All right I did it! Harry's out of dreamland now I promise (whether that's a good or bad thing for him remains to be seen). Though I have to admit that it was very fun while it lasted. Now that I've calmed down my muse by getting back to reality, I look forward to feeding him your many reviews. And who knows… we may not have seen the last of young Conner Potter after all. Till next time guys. Ciao.


	27. Chapter 26

Well here we are again. After fighting papers, writers block, and 50 other things I needed to do I finally got this chapter written. So I'm not gonna delay it any longer than necessary. So on with it!

**Jujube15 –** hmmmm you didn't review this time but I'm so used to seeing your name on here that I decided to leave it up anyway. Hope you're still reading and enjoying.

**DestinyEntwinements –** YAY! We're back! Enjoyfullness.

**mis-HD** – The next chapter is here! So read on and please excuse the overly long wait on this one.

**Hiero Kaze** – hmmm I could write about eight side fanfics with all the chars I've come up with… and who knows? I might actually write them at some point. Happy reading.

**moongoddess86 **– Well it wasn't soon but I did update. Hope you enjoy this one too.

**Silver Habitue** – Well now that's a secret between Harry, Draco, and me isn't it :p Anyway, glad you liked it and hope you like this one too.

**SamerA Jay** – Looks like you caught up just in time. Have fun reading.

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**Chapter 26**

Draco opened his eyes slowly, staring up through the water at the stars twinkling high above him. He had done what he thought had been impossible. He had stood up to Voldemort and walked away from it. _Well, not really walked_, he thought to himself as he opened his mouth. He swallowed the mouthful of water he ended up with and let whatever magic was involved remove the oxygen from the liquid and send it to his lungs. He contemplated the stars high above. In that dream he had felt as if he could touch them, ask them for aid, and send them skittering here and there with a thought. It had been a nice feeling, that power, but it had scared him too. His own willingness to kill someone had scared him. His body had taken over when he had seen Harry being tortured. He couldn't have stopped his sword even if he wanted to, and knew that he hadn't wanted to at the time. He'd wanted to drive his sword through Voldemort's grinning face and remove that inhuman monster from the face of time itself.

He sighed as he floated vertical and kicked his way up through the water. He had to accept that there was a piece of his very soul that did not belong to him. That was why he could breathe under water like this, and also why he had the power to defend the one he loved. As his head broke the surface, he realized too that it was the reason he was able to even be with the boy he had loved for so long.

Draco hauled himself out onto the mesh frame and looked at the other half of the sphere, the half where that boy was now lying, still asleep, encased in flames. The blonde stood, willing all the water to fall back into the hemisphere he'd just left, leaving him completely dry. He easily walked down the narrow vines that made up the unusual structure, hopping off the last few feet where the wall became vertical. It was then that he noticed a tent had been set up a little ways away. As he approached he noticed Isil sitting under it, staring out over the ocean. Draco walked over and sat down on one of the cushions, waiting for the elf to notice his presence. It was another second before Isil turned back, and he didn't look the least bit surprised to see the blonde sitting in front of him.

"How did it feel," Isil asked him, "to act without restriction." He was looking calmly at Draco, but the blonde felt as though all the weight of countless millennia was boring into him through that gaze.

"It was frightening," Draco said, not considering even for a moment to conceal anything while under such an intense scrutiny.

"But good too, yes?" Isil prompted, a small smile crossing his face. "Tom Riddle picked a very dangerous place for that battle. If you had been fully trained as a Guardian, as you would have been had I not interrupted the old way, Voldemort would have died tonight. You could have summoned the power of heaven itself to your wrath and none may escape such a judgment from a member of the circle." Draco looked into the fire that was crackling in the center of the camp. Did he really contain such power?

"If I could have killed him tonight…" he began.

"You would have done so at the forfeit of Harry's life," Isil interrupted, "Salazar was a fully trained Guardian, remember that Draco, and until you become such yourself, you should trust in his wisdom during combat. He knew exactly how far to go tonight, and because of that Harry may yet return to us."

"But I thought I'd saved him," Draco said confused now. Hadn't that been what that vial of blood had been for?

"You saved him from Voldemort by the only means available," Isil said calmly. "Once in a dream not of your own creation, there is only one path that you can walk. You entered that dream willingly and thus could return directly to waking. Harry, however, was forced into that dream with a spell. My blood broke the spell Voldemort was using, but Harry remains lost in dreams. He will wander the Oloromale, passing through the very fabric of the world, until he finds the end of the road." Draco looked back at the hemisphere rising out of the ground.

"How long could he wander like that?" Draco asked.

"To us it may seem no longer than an hour or two," Isil said, his eyes becoming distant and misty as if remembering a pleasant experience, "but for the one who walks the Oloromale in dreams, time is meaningless. For Harry it could be as short as a heartbeat, or as long as a thousand lifetimes." Draco opened his mouth to ask another question but Isil's ear twitched and he once more stared out to the horizon with the same glassy eyed expression he had been wearing when Draco approached.

Draco was about to ask his question anyway when a bright falling object caught his eye. He looked up and for a heartbeat thought that it was a shooting star. He couldn't see through the fire surrounding the object and fleetingly wished Harry was awake so that the boy could tell him what the thing was. _Harry!_ With a start Draco realized that whatever that thing was, it was plummeting directly at the structure where the Gryffindor was sleeping.

"Harry!" Draco shouted desperately running towards the structure. There was no way he could have reached it in time, and he felt Isil grab him and throw him to the ground just before the object connected with the roof of the sphere. The entire structure exploded upwards in great gouts of flame and steam as the enchantment containing both of the elements was shattered. Draco pushed himself up and ran to the newly formed crater, ignoring the searing heat that was tearing at his senses. He found Harry lying motionless in the bottom of the hole and he cradled the boy's head in his arms.

"Come on Harry," he said, "wake up. You can't let a little fire ball like that kill you." His tears were landing on the Gryffindor's cheeks and mixing with the dirt there, creating runny streaks down the boys face. Draco held the raven-haired head close to his chest rocking back and forth and praying to whoever would listen that Harry would wake up.

"That's enough Draco," Isilomir said, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. The Slytherin looked up at the elf, looking for some sign of comfort or reassurance. All that he saw though was a stern reprimand in the man's eyes.

"I won't believe it," Draco said harshly, staring the elf down, "He can't be dead!"

"Calm your mind, silver one, and remember what you have learned this year," Isil responded, maintaining his hold on Draco's shoulder, "Did the thought that he might be dead even enter your mind?" Draco blinked in surprise. Fire couldn't hurt Harry, he'd seen the boy engulfed in flames before, but that would mean…

"Am I awake this time?" a groggy voice asked. Draco whipped his head around and found Harry awake and examining his surroundings. Draco sobbed again and pulled Harry close to him. The Gryffindor encircled him in return, squeezing back in reassurance.

"Are you?" Isil replied blandly, though the elf sounded more distracted than actually sincere. Harry looked up at the elf and seemed to contemplate it.

"I don't know," he finally admitted.

"Come now boys," the elf said, still seeming preoccupied with something, "we have run out of time this trip and must return to the castle. We will try again another weekend." He gestured to the two boys to stand up, and they did so slowly, Draco supporting Harry who was still feeling a bit week. "I will take you back myself as the others are already on there way," Isilomir said. Before either boy could ask him to elaborate he had scooped them both up into his arms and leaped into the air.

Draco gasped as the wind whipped around them. They were flying faster even than Vin had flown, and the blonde was willing to bet that only teleporting on a dragon would be faster. The Welsh countryside was gone in an instant and Draco found himself enthralled in how well the full moon lit everything below them. They passed over three more mountain ranges and then they were descending at a dizzying angle straight towards the castle.

"I will leave you here," Isil said, landing on the top of the astronomy tower, "If I am not at breakfast Monday morning, you two have the day off." He turned and did a running jump off the edge, soaring away swiftly towards the east where the sky was just beginning to turn gray with pre-dawn light.

"What beautiful wings he has," Harry said softly. Draco looked at his boyfriend curiously. He hadn't seen any wings on the elf.

"C'mon Ree, we're both dead tired, even though we've slept all night." Draco supported the Gryffindor as the two of them made there way down from the astronomy tower. Luckily for the both of them, it was only a short distance from the tower to their room on the seventh floor. Draco helped Harry to lie down and then just rolled over and lay next to him, too tired to even bother changing his clothing.

Draco roused that evening only long enough to notice that Harry wasn't in the room anymore. _Where's Ree?_ He mentally questioned his dragon as he changed into pajamas.

_He's out walking,_ came the response.

_Well make sure he gets some sleep too,_ Draco thought before once more drifting off to sleep.

Draco woke the next morning just in time to see the door to the common area slowly close. He closed his eyes briefly to see if Harry was just waiting in the other room but he only caught a glimpse of the other boy's moisture as it stepped out of the portrait hole. He frowned and checked the clock. It was just a few minutes before seven, so why was Harry in such a hurry? Draco pondered Harry's behavior as he showered and dressed for the day. Nox flew to his accustomed perch on Draco's shoulder as the blonde stepped out of the portrait hole.

_Is Ree waiting at breakfast?_ He asked Nox as he headed for the broom closet. The dragon didn't respond immediately and Draco was about to ask again when Nox finally spoke up.

_He said that he wasn't going to be at breakfast…_ Nox said slowly as if trying to understand the message himself, _and that you were not to spend your day waiting for him._ Draco felt just as confused as Nox sounded. In fact the message didn't sound much like Harry at all.

_You sure you asked the right person?_ Draco questioned, emerging from the broom closet and entering the dining hall. Nox favored him with a glare as he made his way over to the Gryffindor table. "All right I get it, you can't make a mistake like that," Draco said aloud as he sat down.

"Talking to yourself now are you?" Ron commented from the other side of the table. Draco favored him with much the same glare he had just received from his dragon.

"Where's Hermione?" Draco asked looking up and down the table to see if he could spot the bushy haired girl.

"Where's Harry?" the other boy responded, his tone suggesting that Draco might have turned traitor and kidnapped the boy.

"Walking around the grounds I think," Draco said smoothly, doing his absolute best not to rise to Weasley's bait.

"Well now you know where Hermione is," Ron said from across the table, "apparently Harry doesn't feel he can trust you enough to confide in you." Draco resisted the urge to reach across the table and smash the redhead's face into his cereal.

_Lord Thalionore is not at table,_ Nox said to him. Draco turned around in his seat to check and sure enough found that the elf's chair was empty.

"Ignoring it isn't going to make it any less true," Ron said, smirking at him, "Looks like Harry doesn't care about you quite as much as you thought." The last bit was said in a whisper so that none of the other Gryffindors at the table would hear him. Draco nearly lost his temper right then and there. He came so close that every drop of liquid within two meters of him rose up into the air menacingly. There was real terror in Ron's eyes at that point but someone grabbed Draco's shoulders and hauled him to the hall door, causing all the liquid to splash back down on the table.

The blonde spun around as soon as they were outside only to find himself held up against the wall by Ghin's outstretched finger. Right behind the Guardian, Ron was lying on the floor with Raphael sitting on his back. The boy was casually holding the red-head's wrists at a painful angle behind the Gryffindor's back with apparently no effort at all despite the obvious amount of effort Ron was exerting.

"Honestly to think that a Guardian could lose control so easily," Ghin said glaring up at Draco, "or that there would be a human foolish enough to bait one in the first place," he added, turning his gaze upon Ron.

"How the hell is a kid this strong," Ron said from the floor, trying to shake Raphael off his back.

"Watch who you're calling kid," Raphael said, "I'm easily fifteen centuries older than you and probably more." Ron didn't appear to hear him though and looked up at Draco.

"Wonderful," he said, "Hey Malfoy, you have no problem going after kids your own age. Don't tell me you can't handle a junior-high-schooler."

"Oh you want my help now Weasley?" Draco retorted, "Can't handle an elementary-schooler on your own?"

"ENOUGH! Both of you!" Ghin snapped. "Raphael, escort Mr. Weasley to his class and see that he stays there."

"As you wish, Master," the boy said and stepped off Ron's back. The redhead stood up and immediately started to head back into the dining hall. "Class is that way, boy," Raphael said gesturing. Ron blinked and found himself on the other side of the entrance hall. "Really don't make me blink you all the way to the class room," Raphael said from behind him. Draco hid his grin as the Apprentice followed the Gryffindor out of the entrance hall.

"As for you, Slytherin," Ghin said, making a gesture and causing Draco to float behind him, "Isilomir is off dealing with an important matter and is unable to teach you today. So spend the day on the grounds and work on controlling your temper." Draco nodded as he was set down on the grass and watched as Ghin turned around and headed back into the castle. Now that the excitement was over, Nox regained his perch on Draco's shoulder and gave him a scolding little chirp.

"I know I shouldn't have lost it with Weasley," Draco retorted, "It's just, I don't know. I wish Harry… Oh I don't know what I wish." He finally said kicking a stone and heading off towards the lake.

"Draco!" Someone called out to him. The blonde turned disconsolately to see who it was and found Hermione jogging towards him. "Have you… seen… Harry this morning?" She asked, panting slightly. Draco shook his head.

"Haven't you been talking to him?" He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. He'd obviously failed when her expression suddenly became worried.

"Did you two fight?" she asked kindly. Draco shook his head. "Well I saw him in the entrance hall this morning and called out to him," she went on, still watching Draco closely, "and he just ignored me and kept walking outside. I followed him out here but he wasn't anywhere that I could see."

"Weasley said you were talking with him," Draco explained, "and I lost my temper a bit when he mentioned that Harry might confide in…" he trailed off and looked across the lake. "Tell him I'm there for him if you see him would you?" he asked quietly. Hermione nodded and Draco continued on his path to the lake. He walked around to the same clearing where Harry had given him Nox and sat down on a rock.

_Why on earth did I explain myself to Granger, _he thought picking up a rock and skipping it over the surface of the lake.

_Because Harry trusts her, _Nox said, watching as Draco picked up another rock. _You really shouldn't throw rocks out there you know, _his dragon put in. Draco sighed and sent the second rock skittering after the first. He watched as the giant squid caught the rock and sent it flying back towards him, and then he almost lazily leaned to the side and let the rock go sailing over his shoulder.

"Playing catch with the squid are we?" someone asked from behind him. _Why is everyone sneaking up on me today_, Draco wondered as Lance stepped up next to him.

_They aren't, _Nox said, _you're just too preoccupied today._

"Oh be quiet you," he said aloud. Lance chuckled and sat down next to him on the bank.

"How are you feeling?" Lance asked. Draco just stared moodily into the water, not looking at the other boy. "He's avoiding you, isn't he?" Lance continued when Draco didn't respond. The blonde grunted to acknowledge that he had heard.

"Did Ghin tell you?" Draco asked after a bit. Lance nodded.

"He's the only Celestial Guardian in the castle right now," Lance told him, "All the others are off on one errand or another, and so it's only natural that he noticed your little slip this morning."

"I don't suppose you know why I'm being avoided," Draco quipped not really expecting an answer.

"The Oloromale," the other boy said softly. Draco looked over at him curiously. Isil had used the same term the day before and Draco was still a little confused about what it was exactly.

"That's the second time I've been told that," Draco said, "what does it mean?"

"Literally, it translates as the dream path, but it is usually referred to as the Pathway of Dreams. It is the bridge that connects Valinor in the west, and Arda. No living creature other than Celeb can walk on it while awake. Otherwise one must be dreaming to walk it. In fact, you yourself have walked it and walk it still every time you sleep. Only, there is a place along it, known as the Cottage of Lost Play. That is where you dream, and that alone prevents you from wandering down the road and becoming lost. When Harry was released from Riddle's spell, he ended up on the Oloromale, but he was beyond the Cottage. Thus he had to wander along it, and no one I know of has ever walked that path." Lance fell silent as they watched some first years wade into the water to catch tadpoles across the lake. It was apparently feeding time up at the greenhouses for one of the more carnivorous plants, because Draco spotted Professor Sprout overseeing the collection.

"So no one knows what Harry went through?" Draco asked softly. He wanted more than ever to talk to the boy now, but Nox had reported that Harry was refusing to speak even with the dragon.

"If anyone does," Lance said standing up and stretching, "It's probably one of the Valar. So, up for a swim?" Draco looked up at the dark haired boy questioningly.

"You know," the blonde said, "usually when you try to distract someone, you try to be a bit more subtle." Lance grinned as he offered Draco a hand up.

"How about flying then," he went on shamelessly, "I hear you are quite the good flyer, and I've always wanted to try flying on a broomstick." Draco chuckled as he led the way around the lake towards the quidditch pitch. It was odd, the blonde thought, it was the beginning of October and he hadn't thought about quidditch at all that year.

When they arrived at the pitch, Draco picked out a couple of Cleansweeps from the broom shed and handed one to Lance. It was an amusing afternoon as Lance tried to get the hang of balancing on such a narrow surface while flying around the stadium. There were several times when he had fallen off but he always landed on his feet. By the time the bell rang, signaling the end of classes, Lance was a little relieved that they were done flying.

"I don't think I'll ever understand how you fly so well on such a thing," he said as Draco put the brooms away.

"Lots and lots of practice," the blonde replied with a grin, "I can't imagine it'll be any different with Nox here when I learn to fly on him." The dragon chirped sleepily when his name was mentioned. He'd been snoozing in one of the stadium seats while the boys were flying.

"It should be much different," a new voice said behind him, "Since Nox is more sentient than a stick of wood." Draco turned to see who was talking and out of the corner of his eye noticed that Lance had blushed and stood up straighter at the sound of the voice. The girl now approaching them from across the pitch had short golden hair that looked to be cut more for practicality than for beauty. Draco recognized her as an apprentice by the enchanting smile that never seemed to fade completely from her face, but he couldn't remember whose apprentice she was or what name she had been introduced with. "Gwen, Aerial's Apprentice," she said shortly, answering his unspoken question. "You didn't remember me from our brief meeting at the castle, but that is all right. We didn't know then that you would be a dragon rider so there was really no need for more than a formal introduction."

"How'd you know I didn't remember your name?" Draco asked. Gwen pointed to the snoozing Nox as if it was obvious.

"That little fellow there has been broadcasting your thoughts to every dragon ever since he was hatched," she said. Draco knew he blushed red enough to have made Weasley proud and the girl chuckled at him. "Don't worry," she went on, "the other dragons are tactful enough to know when not to forward his messages. I'll tell Vin when he gets back that he needs to teach Nox how to filter properly as soon as possible." She sighed and looked away to the east. "He certainly is busy right now though… I don't see why Lord Seldolorien insists on having Vin teach him when Rekka is just as capable." Lance chuckled at that but quieted down instantly when Gwen favored him with a glare. "Speaking of which, I better go check on her and Kore." Without another word Gwen spun around and headed off towards Hagrid's hut.

"Is she sane?" Draco asked quietly as they watched her change direction three more times before settling back on a line to Hagrid's.

"Near as we can tell," Lance said wistfully, still staring after the girl, "she just has dragons on the brain twenty four seven. Sometimes I even wonder if she sees you if you don't have wings and scales." Draco looked at the other boy, surprised by the tone in his voice.

"You like her," he said it as an accusing statement and won an incredulous look from Lance.

"You could tell so easily?" He asked. Draco burst out laughing and started walking back up the hill towards the castle.

"You were being almost painfully obvious about it," Draco commented still chuckling. He found it much easier to act normally around the guardians and apprentices. Around other students though, he still found himself acting snappy. He continued to kid Lance about his crush on Gwen all the way back to the castle and even into the dining hall. He let up though when he noticed that Harry wasn't at the table and Lance tried to cheer him up by telling him funny animal stories. Draco did his best throughout dinner to pay attention and laugh at all the appropriate spots. It was made easier by the fact that Ron was sitting at the opposite end of the table with Hermione, so Draco didn't have that constant reminder of his behavior that morning.

Things didn't change the next day, even though Isil had come back. Harry had come to bed long after Draco fell asleep the night before and woke before the blonde in the morning. He skipped out on morning classes and Draco was with Tanya during the afternoon so he didn't know if Harry was training with Menon or not. Wednesday, Harry didn't show up for class or for running in the afternoon and Isil only had Draco do one lap around the lake before calling a halt.

"You need to talk to Harry and get him to understand that he is awake," Isil said as Draco put his school robes back on. The blonde paused. He had not been expecting Isil to tell him that. He had been expecting something more along the lines of an inquiry as to why Harry had been missing class, but the elf sounded as if he knew perfectly well why the Gryffindor was not showing up.

"He won't talk to me," Draco said as he finished pulling the robe on, "he's been avoiding me ever since he got back from that Oloro-thingy."

"The Oloromale, yes," Isil said, his eyes becoming misty and a small smile playing across his face. "A wonderful place where any dream can become reality."

"You know what it is?" Draco asked, surprised. "But Lance said he didn't know anyone who knew what it was like."

"Yes, he would say that," Isil said turning his attention back to Draco, "because I never told those outside of my family about my journey there." The elf began to walk over the lawns and gestured for Draco to follow him. "I used to walk the Path of Dreams long before I took an interest in this world. It was my playground if you will, and my father was constantly worried that I would get lost in the twists and turns beyond the Little House. It is possible to find the greatest of paradises or the darkest of hells there for that is the nether from which all dreams and nightmares come. I remember the first time I wandered there, back when I was but a few centuries old, and I was so enthralled by what I found that I could not determine if I had woken when I returned. I refused to talk to Morniel, or any of my other friends. I would have remained by the silver waters of Tilpion for all of time had my father not come and talked to me. I told him what I had seen and as soon as I had, I felt foolish for thinking it could be real. It is not the act of retelling itself that is the cure. It is the realization that your experiences do not add up to what you saw there." The elf went all misty eyed again when he had finished speaking and stared up at the sky at something that Draco couldn't see.

"So all I have to do is talk to him?" Draco asked, a little unsure that such a simple solution would work. Isil nodded and then glanced out over the grounds again.

"We lost some time last weekend, not being able to accomplish what we set out to do," he said scanning the forest as if searching for something. "We must go again this weekend, and Harry must have accepted that he is awake by then. Do you understand?" He turned his gaze on Draco again and waited until the blonde had nodded. "Off with you then. While away your afternoon but remember your assignment. Talk with Harry." Draco waved acknowledgement as he headed off towards the castle. He had an essay to finish for Transfiguration so he headed to the library to pound it out.

Nox's soft creeling for food roused Draco from his nap. He quickly checked over his essay to make sure he hadn't smudged it while he packed up his books. He sent his bag back to the room with a flick of his wand and hurried out of the library before Madame Pince heard the dragon.

"You're supposed to wake me before you start making noise," Draco admonished as he jogged towards the dining hall.

_You were dreaming though,_ Nox said simply.

"I was?" Draco asked. He hadn't remembered any dream but one rarely did when they woke up. "Do you know what I was dreaming of?" Nox thought about it for a bit and then gave his partner a steady gaze as he flew backwards in front of him.

_You were talking to the elves who guard the Cottage,_ Nox said slowly. _They told you that you could not pass, even if it was to understand what Ree is going through._ Draco slowed to a walking pace and watched the floor, not wanting to see the accusation he thought was in his dragon's eyes.

"I would have taken you with me Nox," Draco said quietly. He finally looked up at the dragon and found no accusation. Instead the dragon was nodding as if that fact was a given.

_The Oloromale is not easily traveled, and we are not meant to pass beyond the cottage, _the dragon said simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. _So let's go eat._ Draco chuckled as he entered the dining hall. He was still unnerved by the whispers that followed him as he passed. He knew that they were more directed at the dragon flying around him than at himself but he was still unused to the attention. Draco was relieved when he saw no sign of Ron at the Gryffindor table. It didn't even occur to him to sit at the Slytherin table to avoid the redhead.

"Hey Dobby," Draco said to no one in particular, "I know it's a bit early for dinner but Nox could really use something to eat."

"Certainly Master Draco," the house-elf responded, appearing on the table in front of him with a little pop. The creature was carrying two plates, the one full of raw meat obviously for the dragon, and the other with a full meal for Draco.

"You didn't have to bring me something," Draco muttered, aware that the rest of the hall hadn't been served yet.

"It was in Dobby's hand when Master called," Dobby said cheerily, "If you catch Dobby's meaning sir." Draco chuckled as the elf held up a finger next to his nose.

"Freedom suits you Dobby," he said, still chuckling. The elf gave a small bow and disappeared with another pop. Draco began eating rather self consciously aware that the entire hall was either staring at him, or at his dragon. He noticed that Nox was, for once, not gorging himself, but rather daintily picking up one piece at a time and actually chewing it before swallowing.

"Well at least _you're_ eating," Hermione said sitting down across the table from him and giving Nox a little pat on the head.

"You aren't?" Draco responded after swallowing.

"Oh I plan on it," Hermione said airily as the rest of the students filed in. "But apparently Ron and Harry are skipping out."

"You've talked to Harry?" Draco asked quickly. He knew his eagerness was painfully obvious and he earned the curious looks of a few of the nearby Gryffindors. "I mean, I just haven't seen him in class for a few days, so I was wondering if he was feeling okay," he added, hitting himself for making up such a lame sounding excuse for asking.

"Well Harry surprised me this afternoon while I was up in the owlry," Hermione said quietly so that no one else would over hear, "he asked me if I was in love with him and I laughed outright and told him of course not. He nodded and muttered something I couldn't hear and then left. I went after him to talk to him but he must have taken it at a run because he was down at the next corner already."

"Why would he ask you that?" Draco said, staring at his hands. He couldn't figure out what Harry was thinking. More frustrating was the fact that he had no idea how he was going to talk to Harry if the boy would just sense him coming and run away.

"I was hoping you'd be able to tell me," Hermione said as she began eating. Draco had already finished and watched as Nox browsed among the various items on the table.

"I can only assume it has something to do with whatever it was he saw last weekend," Draco said after a bit. "Why is Ron skipping a meal? I never thought he'd pass up dinner if he had the choice." Hermione chuckled at that.

"He's not here because you are," she said simply, "and I told him I was going to sit at this end of the table and talk to you. When he heard that, he just turned around and walked away." Draco opened his mouth to apologize for that, but Hermione was grinning wider than ever. "I think you gave him a bit of a scare Monday when you lost your temper," she said. "That, or he's still nursing his pride over being pushed around by Raphael." Draco chuckled at that. He noticed that Nox was scratching a spot near the ridge of scales on his back and reached over to rub it for him.

"Don't just itch him," Gwen said from behind him, "if he's itching, it's because he needs to be oiled." Draco turned around and saw the girl coming towards him from the doorway, an exasperated look on her face. Behind her, Lance was doing his best to act gentlemanly and show her to a seat. Gwen appeared to be ignoring him however, because she continued to advance on Draco, despite Lance's attempts to seat her at the Ravenclaw table. "Here," she said shortly, tossing a small vial of purplish oil to Draco, "Oil him down, or else his hide will crack when he goes between somewhere."

"I'm sorry," Draco began, "I ran out…" he trailed off as he noticed that Gwen was not listening to him. She had moved right passed him, heading for the staff table and Hagrid.

"Don't do that," Lance said, snatching the vial as Draco was about to open it. "If you use that, Nox will smell like flowers for a week. It's better to use what the rest of the dragon riders use." The boy closed his eyes for a minute and Draco idly wondered what he was saying.

_...if it's not too much trouble, Could you bring a pot of oil to me, when you're finished with Vin?_

Draco blinked. That had been Lance's voice but the boy's mouth hadn't moved. Then the dining hall vanished and he was soaring among the clouds. The sensation of another body entwined with his was enough like being with Harry that he felt tears in his eyes.

_You know better than to disturb me now, Lance,_ a new voice said. _Arcal, go run Lance's errand for me._

Draco's perspective shifted again and now he felt warm and comfortable, as if he were fresh from sleeping.

_I am not meant to run errands for the Light,_ a third voice said. _You can be sure that Gwathtal will hear about this._

Draco's vision snapped back to the dining room and he gasped as he felt the wooden bench under him. That had been very strange. He looked at Nox who let one eye lid droop slowly closed before flicking it back open again.

"Well Arcal is bringing it now," Lance said ruefully, "Though I think I may have just caused more trouble than I needed." The boy was apparently unaware that Draco had heard the entire conversation. A moment later, the black dragon appeared above the table with a pot of oil. He placed it in front of Lance, and with a scolding chirp disappeared.

Draco oiled Nox thoroughly and excused himself. He went back to his room to finish his work and wait for Harry to come back. When the clock struck eleven, he instructed Nox to wake him when Harry got back and then climbed into bed.

Harry must not have come back though because Draco woke at his usual time the next morning. Frustrated even more, he showered quickly and began to search the grounds for the Gryffindor. He skipped breakfast and class, figuring that completing his homework for the weekend was a good excuse. He didn't have any luck all day and was heading back to the room disconsolately when he encountered a crowd of people jammed into a hallway. Curious, he pushed his way through to the front and found Harry sitting in the middle of the corridor with a ring of flames dancing around his head. It appeared as if no one wanted to go around the boy because beyond him was a crowd of students who had been heading the other direction when they came upon Harry. As Draco reached the front of the crowd, Harry's eyes opened and the boy stood up.

"I was wondering how long it would take you," the Gryffindor said. The boy's voice didn't sound very steady, as if he was unsure of whether or not this was a good thing. The ring of fire that had been encircling his head had remained stationary and expanded as he stood. It now ringed his waist swirling and growing to fill the new space. Draco was unsure of what to do. He didn't know what Harry wanted from him, or what the boy was planning to do with the fire under his control. "Are you the real Draco?" The question was simple enough, but Draco was unsure of how to answer it.

_He wants to know if you are _his _Draco,_ Nox said. The dragon sounded as if he wasn't quite sure what this meant. Suddenly it clicked for the blonde. Harry wanted Draco to prove that he was really the Draco that Harry knew. The blonde swallowed and stepped forward. Without so much as a blink, he conjured a disc of water in front of him and then added volume to it, until it was a ring mirroring the one encircling Harry. The other boy's eyes narrowed as the ring finished forming.

"Well," he asked, _does that answer your question?_ he added mentally. He saw Harry's eyes widen a bit before they closed again.

_Answer some questions for me_, the Gryfindor's voice sounded in his mind. Draco swallowed but nodded. "When did we meet for the first time?" Harry asked.

"Madam Malkins in Diagon Ally before first year," Draco said promptly.

"Our first meeting after scho-"

"Just before the sorting ceremony," Draco interrupted him.

"Our first meeting this ye-"

"On the grounds the first night, by the lake."

"The first time we ki-"

"The next night under our starting mark." The crowd of students on either side was looking even more confused than when Draco had arrived. He couldn't blame them; if he had been listening without knowing what was going on he would've been lost too.

"I guess you really are Draco… imagine that," Harry said with a little smile. The boy turned to go but Draco sent two tendrils of water out to encircle the boy, causing him to turn back around.

"What are you thinking Harry?" Draco asked. The other boy gave him a blank look, as if he were surprised that Draco wanted to know. "Tell me what you saw that night, where you went, what happened. Please just tell me so I can understand." Something Draco had said must have penetrated because suddenly the ring of fire had exploded reaching menacingly towards the blonde.

"You want to understand?" Harry was shouting now. "How can _you_ understand? You had your pampered lifestyle with no wants. But you know what Draco? My Parents died before I ever got to know them. Then, after thirteen years of being lonely and having no one, I found a family, only to have that family ripped away from me two years later. You want to understand!" Draco swallowed. The flames were encompassing him now, ringing around him just like the water was around Harry. The roaring of the flames only seemed to amplify Harry's voice and Draco couldn't imagine what had brought this outburst on. His only thought was to comfort the boy he loved. As Harry continued to shout at him, Draco concentrated on slowly moving himself over to the other boy.

"Then at the beginning of this year, everything was so good. Dumbledore had come back and everything, and I had someone in my life again but then… I fell asleep on that boat and when I woke up it was like none of it had ever happened!" Draco blinked back the tears as he listened. Harry was still shouting and the students were looking increasingly nervous as the fire raged. "SIX MONTHS!" Harry yelled louder still. "Six months I lived there thinking that I had been dreaming and then when I finally got out you know what I found? I found a family. My mother and father were alive and I had brothers and sisters, and I still had… still had…" Harry trailed off as Draco finally reached him and drew the boy into his arms. There was dead silence in the corridor as the flames died down and then disappeared all together. Draco felt Harry's hands clinging to his back. He could feel the boy trembling in his arms.

"How could I be such an idiot?" It was almost a whisper, half muffled by Draco's shoulder.

"You aren't an idiot Ree," Draco whispered back, "You just had to say all that aloud to realize it." Harry chuckled and sobbed at the same time, making a wracking coughing noise. "I'm gonna take him to the hospital wing," Draco said aloud to the students, picking up Harry and moving through the crowd. As soon as they were out of sight, Draco changed course and headed straight for the room.

"I'm so tired Drake," Harry said softly as Draco moved through the common room.

"That's ok Ree," Draco replied opening the door to the bedroom, "We're here. You can sleep now."

"Mm that's good," Harry mumbled as Draco laid him on the bed. The blonde tucked him in and then sat there for a few minutes watching him sleep.

Draco stood up slowly from the bed, careful not to wake the Gryffindor and went over to his desk in the room. He took out some parchment and scribbled a quick note to Isilomir explaining that he had finally talked to Harry. He gave the note to Nox and sent the dragon flying out the window. A moment later, Nox flew back in and cheeped contentedly.

"Well?" Draco prompted softly as he carefully arranged himself on the bed. Nox gave him a questioning look before putting his head back down on the pillow. "When are we leaving tomorrow," Draco whispered, poking the dragon.

_Isil said not to worry about it,_ Nox replied, _just go to sleep._ Draco sighed and doused the torches before falling asleep.

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WOO HOOOOOO! It's done at last! And all is well… well… as well is it ever really gets. It's field trip time again next chapter, and it's gonna be fun XD. See you all then. Ciao.


	28. Chapter 27

I know it's been a while, and I know this one is about half the length of my usual chapters but hey… at least it's here. Anyways enjoy it, review it, and I promise to the next one will be longer and sooner.

**Jujube15 –** lol good to see that you're still keeping track of this. Have fun reading

**DestinyEntwinements –** lol that review has to be one of the most entertaining ones I've ever seen. Anyway here we are again, and we are still in reality. Sounded like you were on caffeine last time…

**mis-HD** – Torture… I don't know if this counts… but I swear, I'll beat up Draco one of these days lol. Just kidding.

**moongoddess86 **– Thx again for the reviews.

**SamerA Jay** – Well I'm glad you like how I write and think… I think… but anyway thx for the review.

**Joelle Lee** – Well I'm glad I caught your attention. Thanks for your review.

**Maben00** – Thanks!

Now everyone enjoy the chapter! (short though it is)

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**Chapter 27**

When Harry opened his eyes, he felt a surge of panic course through him. The walls around him were different from Hogwarts. Had he been dreaming again? He felt something warm move against his back and turned his head just slightly. He relaxed a bit when he saw the blonde head on the pillow next to him, but he was still uncertain whether this was his reality. He slowly pushed back the green covers and was about to stand up when something glittery caught his eye. He looked down towards his waist and found the symbol of water, shining up at him from the underside of Draco's arm. _I'm still here_, Harry thought, feeling very relieved.

He sat up carefully so as not to wake his boyfriend and looked around the room. He knew it wasn't Hogwarts but the room itself looked oddly familiar. The green and silver hangings of the room reminded him of Slytherin, but the white marble walls and white wood furniture reminded him of something else that his sleep muddled mind couldn't place.

He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back against the headboard. He couldn't believe that yesterday morning he had thought this was a dream. It seemed so obvious now that it didn't really make sense. He knew, after all, that his parents had died. He knew that he and Draco had spent the last six years hating each other. Even though he knew all that, he also remembered growing up with his family and Draco in that other world. He remembered the games that they used to play at school, the strategies he used against his brother and father. His memories seemed so real.

_Maybe they are,_ Nox said reasonably. Harry found his glasses on the table next to the bed and looked around for the dragon. He found him sprawled out on the window sill, resting in the morning sun as it poured in through the opening.

_How can I have two sets of memories?_ Harry thought, a little annoyed with the simplicity of the dragon's statement so early in the morning.

_You wanted to fit into that world so much that you took a piece of it with you when you left, _the dragon responded. Harry considered that while watching the splotch of sunlight move inch by inch across the floor. He supposed that such a thing might be possible. He shook the thoughts away and looked around the room again, trying to figure out where he was and why it felt familiar.

He stood up carefully, making sure not to wake Draco with his movements, and walked over to the window. He stroked Nox gently in greeting and looked out towards the rising sun. He let his eyes drift closed and stood there, breathing deeply the fresh morning breeze and seemingly the very light of the sun itself. He opened his eyes and looked down at the sprawling grassy fields spreading out to meet the horizon, his eyes passing over the fiery orb of the sun without a second thought. He noticed the people moving out from under the low roof at the base of the building, carrying baskets and singing as they went. With a start, Harry realized they were singing in Elvish, though their meaning was as plain to him as English.

…_Time to sing and time to play,_

_Time to work another day,_

_Fall is here the leaves turn red,_

_Add the harvest to our bread,_

_All thank Varda for these fruits,_

_For trees and plants, stalks and roots,_

_Take we now under the sky,_

_What we give back when we die,_

_For time to learn and to live,_

_It's time now to take and give,_

_Time that holds and time that frees,_

_Time as old as gods and Trees,_

_Time relentless, moving on,_

_Time that comes from far beyond…_

The sound died away as the elves moved off over the fields and into the woods. Somewhere in the middle of the song, Harry had realized he was at Silanost again and he found that he wasn't all that surprised to find himself there. Though the song had sounded cheerful at first and the tune was certainly lively and crafted to inspire excitement, Harry found as the words washed over him, that the content was full of sadness and melancholy.

_They sing of something they may never know, and will never naturally experience,_ Nox said. The dragon had stood up on the sill and had been watching the harvesters with Harry. _The burden that all elves must bear is that they will see all else die but they will linger. Their songs are full of this sad acceptance._

"I wonder what it feels like to know you'll live forever," Harry said aloud, looking out over the fields, "It must get very lonely."

"Would it be so bad if you had someone to live with?" Draco asked from behind him. Harry turned around and found the blonde's eyes were open though he hadn't moved yet.

"Did I wake you up?" Harry asked apologetically, walking back to the bed.

"No," Draco said and then glared over Harry's shoulder at his dragon, "but someone's stomach did." Nox tucked his head under his wing sheepishly and this time Harry heard the audible gurgling noise from the dragon's stomach. "Well, I suppose it's time to find you something to eat," Draco commented getting up. The boys both took quick showers and dressed in the clothes that were hanging in the closet. The room had not been changed since their last visit during that first weekend of the year, and they managed to find their way to the hall where they had been introduced to the guardians.

"Did we miss breakfast?" Draco asked as they stepped into the empty hall.

"I don't think so," said Harry, checking his watch, "it's only seven." As Harry spoke, Nox hopped off Draco's shoulder and flew towards the wall.

_I smell food from over here,_ the dragon said excitedly.

"It's probably just some bit of table scraps," Draco admonished his dragon. As he spoke, however, the section of wall in front of the dragon slid to one side.

"I thought I heard voices out here," she said stepping aside and gesturing the two boys and the dragon to move past her. "Come now you must be hungry, and I dare say you've missed breakfast."

"We missed it?" Harry asked a little incredulously, "but it's so early."

"Ah Master Gryfindor I'm sure that a mere hour or two after sunrise must seem early to you, and possibly quite late to Master Slytherin, however, the four nearest harvests have already been brought in, and lunch is to be served after the fifth. But come now, we won't keep you hungry boys waiting that long. There's some stew on the hearth that will do nicely and I have a bowl of meat scraps in the cooler for when a dragon drops in." The woman bustled off to serve them, gesturing to a wooden table as she went. Harry glanced at Draco and cocked an eyebrow at the blonde. Draco shrugged and sat down, Nox climbing down his arm and onto the table as he did so. "Here you are, and be sure to eat it all. None of us can do much on an empty stomach." The woman had delivered the food and gone off again before Harry or Draco could thank her, much less ask her name.

"Hey, Drake," Harry said as he finished eating, "Are you mad at me?" Harry was staring at his hands and didn't look up to see the expression of shock on Draco's face. "I understand if you're mad, after the way I behaved last week…" He trailed off as Draco's pale hand took his own, intertwining their fingers and drawing Harry's gaze up to the blonde's face.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Draco whispered, "Isil told me what you were going through. I just want you to know that whenever you want to talk about what you saw there, I'll listen to every word." Harry smiled and squeezed Draco's hand.

"Luissiel, have the boys woken yet?" Isil's voice filtered into the room. Both boys turned as the sliding door opened and Isil stepped in. "Ah there you are. And you've already eaten? Excellent. Come quickly, you have much to do today." He didn't wait for a response from either of them, but turned on his heal and headed out the door back towards their room. Draco collected Nox from the table and both of them hurried after the elf.

"What is it we're going to be doing?" Harry asked.

"What I intended you to do last week," the elf responded, leading them through a different door and up a long ramp. At the top they found a ladder and Isil nimbly leaped up through the hole in the ceiling. When Harry climbed up, he found himself on a large platform encircling the central spire of Silanost. The rest of the spire towered over them, its tip just visible through the cloud that was currently moving past the tower.

As Draco was climbing out of the hole, Vin appeared and landed on the edge of the platform. The dragon rumbled a greeting to the two boys as they climbed up onto his back. Once they were settled, Vin did a running leap off the platform, spreading his wings and gliding over the fields to the east. Harry wanted to know where they were going and what exactly they were doing but the wind seemed to whip the words away even before he spoke them.

"This is where I'll leave you," Isil said a while later as Vin landed lightly in a meadow, "you'll-"

"Maiar, what do you mean bringing drakin to our lands!" A voice called from down the mountain meadow.

"I bring to you the candidates that were promised a seven day ago," Isil called back, undeterred, "the drakin will not stay long enough for you to reach us." He turned back to the boys and spoke quickly. "Walk among them for the day and find one that will bear you. Nox, come with us." The young dragon looked unhappy at the prospect of leaving the boys, especially after such a challenge had been made, but he flew up to Isilomir's shoulder anyway. Vin leaped from the ground and had beat his wings no more than once before he was gone.

Wondering what it was that had spoken when they landed, Harry and Draco turned around just in time to see a proud looking grey horse come trotting up to them. "Rarely is that maiar wrong," the beast spoke crypticly, "I reach you, yet neither of the drakin is in evidence." He was not saying 'dragon' as Harry had first thought, though it was clear that he meant the beautiful creatures when he spoke. "Go now, with my leave walk alone among my herd. Should you find one that will go with you, my blessing you shall have." The horse snorted then, once at each boy, turned, and trotted back down the meadow.

"Alone?" Harry asked, not quite managing to suppress the shaking of his voice. Draco embraced him tightly and gave him a kiss before smiling at him.

"It's only for today," he whispered, "We'll see each other back at the castle tonight." Harry nodded and kissed the blonde one more time before he turned and began walking slowly across the meadow. He looked back over his shoulder after a bit, but weather by magic, or design, Draco was no longer in his sight.

He sighed and continued wandering. His thoughts drifted as he walked, and he found it amazing how profound a change talking to Draco about his dreams had wrought. The world itself seemed more real to him than it had before. This time alone, when he could have been with Draco, reminded him too of how much he missed the blonde. He wandered aimlessly, barely seeing the horses that passed by him or looked in his direction curiously. As the sun rose higher, Harry began to feel hungry again. The stew he'd had in the kitchen that morning seemed a long time ago, and he looked around for something edible to eat.

He was a bit surprised to find that he had wandered into a copse of trees. He looked behind him but couldn't see the meadow he had been wandering through. Cautiously, he walked forward, pushing bushes and branches aside. After a few minutes, he emerged into a clearing in the center of the grove. There was a river running through the center of the clearing, and in the middle of it, creating a little island with its network of roots, there stood a massive apple tree. Harry stared at the picturesque clearing for a few minutes before he spotted something that made his mouth water. Hanging from the branches of the tree were large red apples, ready for the picking.

Harry approached the river bank and looked up at the fruit above. It would not be such a hard thing to just float up there and pick one, but Harry felt like he could use a bit of extra work to get such delicious looking fruit. He took a few steps back from the edge of the bank, and then ran forward and jumped onto the roots at the base of the tree. He straightened up and then instinctively put a hand over his head, catching the apple that had been about to land on him. He looked up curiously, wondering if his landing had shaken the fruit loose, or if perhaps the tree had purposefully tried to hit him. He shook the thought away and picked a large root to sit on while he ate. The apple was large enough to feel like a full meal to Harry and he stooped down to drink from the river several times while he was eating. Gradually the warm sun, combined with the delicious taste of the fruit he had finished eating, caused Harry to drop off to sleep.

"How interesting."

The deep rumbling voice roused Harry from his nap and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He sat up slowly, careful not to fall off the root he had fallen asleep on and looked around for the source of the voice. Standing on the other side of the river was one of the most beautiful horses he had ever seen. The animal's coat was chestnut in color, and was offset by a completely jet black mane.

"A mortal," the horse went on, "who not only found their way here, but also ate and drank and still lives. Who are you human, that you did not choke on the apple, or suffocate on the water from this stream?" Harry swallowed nervously. Had he done something he shouldn't have?

"I am Gryffindor Harry Potter," he said, standing up straight and looking the animal squarely in the eyes, "I have come looking for one that will bear me. Will you accept the honor?" He didn't know what made him say the last part but it had been said before he could stop himself. The horse seemed to consider him from across the stream for a while before speaking again.

"Three things must be done before I can be ridden," the horse said. It looked off into the distance as if looking back into long memory. "First, thou must give up thy heart. Second, thy body must be forsaken. Third must thy soul be loosed from thy bonds." The animal looked back at Harry and the Gryffindor stared into the equine eyes. "What say you human, will you do these things to obtain me?" Harry considered what the horse had said for several minutes while the equine's gaze bored into him. He already knew the answer, and was saddened that this wondrous animal was not to be his.

"I am sorry to have troubled you," Harry said formally with a bow, "but I cannot do these things you ask." The horse seemed amused by his behavior but Harry pressed on. "I cannot give up my heart for it is not mine alone to give. My body too have I promised to another and cannot forsake it. As for my soul, it is chained by another with bonds so fiercely passionate that should I even desire to break them, I would not have the strength." Harry was once again surprised at the words issuing from his mouth. He had said and done many things since he had met Isil that night at the beginning of the year that he did not fully understand, and he was beginning to wonder if he should try to suppress whatever part of him was speaking like this.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the rumbling laugh of the horse from across the river. "Well said Gryffindor Harry Potter," the horse said, "come now, if you can catch me I will bear you till the end of days."

"But… I…" Harry began.

"If you have time to speak, then RUN!" the horse shouted and took off like a shot into the woods. Harry didn't even stop to consider why the horse was giving him a chance to catch him even though he had done nothing the beast had asked. He just leaped off the root and sprinted after the flashing tail of the creature. The chase went on for an hour or more, and they ran out from under the boughs of the trees flashing across the meadows and moors. "You can run faster than that Gryffindor, you still appear human. Come, hold nothing back." Harry gritted his teeth and tried to jump onto the horse. He nearly landed on the horse's back, having accelerated himself with a blast of air to catch up. The horse seemed to sense him coming though and put on an extra burst of speed, causing Harry to miss by inches and slam into the ground and begin rolling. Frustrated that he had missed and now bruised too, Harry forgot all thoughts that he might hurt the horse and burst into flame. He came out of his third summersault on all fours and tore after the equine.

"Now you show your true colors Son of Flame, and the chase will begin in earnest." Incredibly, the horse began to speed up, managing to avoid Harry's grasping hand and always be just three steps ahead of him. The odd game of tag wore on, until the sun was halfway to setting. They were tearing across yet another meadow, the horse mere inches away from Harry's outstretched hand, when the boy's foot caught on a hillock and he slammed hard into the ground, rolling and bouncing. He felt bones cracking as he crashed through a boulder and the last thing he saw was the trunk of a huge tree before he slammed into it.

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The horse approached the still figure that was the boy who had been chasing him. Gently, he lay down next to the boy and, using his own brand of inexplicable magic, stood with the boy on his back. "The race was well run son of my father," the horse spoke, "rest now and I will carry you to the ends of time if need be." Slowly then, so as not to jostle his unconscious passenger, the great horse turned his course westward and began to walk.

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For the delay on this chapter you can all blame my professors who decided to assign me research papers in three different classes. BUT we're beyond that now, and back here with all our fun and happy twists and turns. Till next time (hopefully sooner than later) Ciao.


	29. Chapter 28

Ok, I'm going to be very, very surprised if any of the people who read this story when it first started are still watching for an update. But just in case you're like me and never clean out your favorite story list, here's a treat just for you.

Over the last 4 years, I have received an odd review or two asking me if I'm ever going to finish this story. About two years ago, my girlfriend convinced me to pick up my pen again and as she put it, "they love your writing so finish the damn story already." SOOOOooo after much whining on my part I finally did just that. I got a couple of blank books, my trusty 0.7mm mechanical pencil, and I sat down to write.

Fast forward two years and I have the first few chapters of a complete rewrite of this story (as well as a start on other related ventures). The new version attempts to take things from Book 7, and no I'm not telling you my opinion of it, and incorporate certain bits in to make my story seem a little bit more like a Harry Potter story. Hopefully you'll all still enjoy it just as much.

As an added bonus, and because I think it's healthy of me to not hold back, I've included the final bit of work I did on the original four years back. At the bottom will be a link to the new story.

Thanks again to any and all who've stuck around and waited for me to get back into this.

Ciao.

* * *

**Chapter 28**

Draco stood on the hill for a bit and watched as Harry began walking across the meadow. He smiled and turned, heading almost instinctively for the shade of the nearby trees. He walked for a while along the edge of the forest, looking around at the horses both in the meadow and those wandering among the trees. He walked at random, turning whenever the mood took him to do so, and wandered deeper into the forest. He had expected to emerge shortly into another meadow or onto a moor, but the trees did not give way to either. He wandered for most of the day and well into the afternoon, admiring the beauty of the changed landscape. A year ago, he knew, this land had not looked like this. Open moors and grassy fields had dominated the landscape, with a few small forests and copses interspersed among them as well as the numerous villages and roadways that connected them to the outside world. There had been no great thick forest like the one he was walking through, yet the trees around him seemed to be hundreds, if not thousands of years old.

The sound of running water reminded him that he had not had anything to eat or drink since early that morning. Listening carefully to the sound, he wound his way in between the trees and came upon the mouth of a cave in the hillside. A river was pouring down in a cascade off the top of the cave entrance, forming a deep clear pool before flowing back into the cave and underground. Draco removed his shirt and boots, intending to dive into the pool and have a nice swim before continuing his search.

"I would not do that if I were you."

Draco looked up at the sound of spoken words and saw a blonde elf crouched on the rocks next to the waterfall. He was dressed in a white tunic with brown trousers and, unlike most of the elves Draco had met, wore his hair cut short. Draco's eye spotted the bow and sword the elf carried and he was very aware that his own sword was lying in plain sight on the ground behind him.

"What is it that you would not do?" Draco asked, careful not to take his eyes off of the elf.

"Swim, of course," the elf responded, "This water is cursed, and all who touch it slip into sleep and are carried away into the dark places beneath the earth. None return." Draco looked at the pool of water thoughtfully and then back up at the elf. "If you wish to end your life, by all means jump in," the elf said before Draco could speak, "may your choice be a wise one, mortal." With that last comment the elf disappeared. Draco was now wondering if it had indeed been an elf. Every elf he had met so far had known him on sight, something he found rather disconcerting, but this elf had acted as if Draco was a complete stranger and, moreover, a trespasser.

He stood there for a long while; contemplating the warning he had been given. Water was at his command; it would not kill him he knew. Even so, he knew he should continue the search he had set out on. "Let's see what this curse is about," he said, finally making up his mind and feeling slightly rebellious for choosing to disobey the warning. He turned and dove into the pool, letting the cold water slide past him and then carry him up to the surface. It felt marvelously refreshing, and he could feel the subtle tug of the current towards the mouth of the cave. He swam to the bank, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness, as the water seemed to remove his very body from him. He rested his head on the grassy bank, letting his body float with the current as he looked around at the trees.

He heard the sound of hooves approaching through the trees. Curious, he looked around, expecting to see a sickly horse come to touch the waters to end its life for the nature of the curse had been revealed to him by the water as he swam and he knew why most sought out the pool. What he saw instead was a beautiful animal with a blue gray coat much darker than the horse that had initially spoken to them when they had landed in the meadow that morning. The horse approached the pool and bent down, drinking deeply from the clear water. Draco watched stunned as it straightened and then turned towards Draco. With a start, the blonde found himself staring back into sightless milky eyes.

"You are late," the horse said simply, staring right at Draco though obviously not seeing him at all.

"I… um… sorry," Draco managed, "but why are you still alive after drinking?"

"This is my home," the horse said, "one such as I cannot lose my vision, so I may drink freely of the water."

"I'm sorry," Draco said immediately, "I didn't know I was intruding." He made to get up but the horse was suddenly standing over him, his hooves making small ripples as they rested on the water's surface.

"You were warned by the waterfall of the curse on this place," the horse stated, "Yet here you sit. The boy who has accomplished all that the heavens require of one who wishes to ride me."

"Pardon?" Draco asked, confused now, "I haven't done anything though."

"I am Nen," the horse said, seemingly not hearing Draco's complaints, "and the one I will bear must have given freely his body, heart, and soul and must not regret having lost them. Now let me see you." The horse sank into the pool up to its knees. Then without warning, it lunged down and bit Draco hard on the shoulder. Draco knew he screamed, and he felt the horse's teeth grate against his shoulder blade. His vision spun and he was vaguely aware that the water around him was turning red and that the horse was swallowing several mouthfuls of his blood. He felt nauseous as the tension in the horse's jaw slackened. The animal still lifted him partway out of the water though, as it pulled back before its teeth were completely removed from his shoulder.

Draco looked tentatively at his shoulder, afraid of the gory mess he would find there. Even as he turned to look though, the water swirled around it and knitted his flesh back together. He looked back up at the horse, and felt his nausea increase when he saw his own blood drying on the horse's muzzle.

"Ah what wonders eyes can portray," the horse said, turning his head and looking around the clearing. "Come now child of my father, you have given me the vision to bear you for the length of this world." Draco looked up surprised to hear the horse say that. As the horse turned its head again though, Draco noticed that its eye's were no longer the dull milky white of blindness. They now pulsed red, as if the blood the horse had sucked from Draco's shoulder had flown directly into the horses eyes and revived them.

"Why is it always _my_ blood that's needed," Draco grumbled as he hauled himself out of the lake and dried off.

"A long history exists between Slytherin and the old Blood Magic," Nen said as Draco pulled his tunic and boots on, "they are the last masters of such a cunning and subtle craft." He walked out onto the bank and looked patiently at Draco. "Come son of my father, climb onto my back and we shall away to the western spires."

"That's the second time you've called me that," Draco said, hoping neatly onto the horses back and then snatching at the gray mane as Nen set off at a gallop.

"Because it is true," the horse replied, "You are a Son of Water, as am I. That is why we shall ride together until the end of time."

"I hate to disappoint you," Draco said cautiously, "but I'm a dragon rider as well."

"It is of no concern," Nen said confidently, "there are times when a drakin's majesty is needed, and there are times when you will desire a different kind of presence." Draco thought about that while they rode.

"What did you mean earlier," he asked as they exited the forest and began riding across a moor, "when you said I had freely given my body, heart, and soul?"

"The three things that Orome commanded a mortal to do before one of his herd could be ridden," the horse replied, "you offered your heart to Gryffindor out of love, and with your heart you offered your body and soul. For all three are one to be given, but individually taken. Just as you freely gave these things to him, so too did you accept them from him." Draco just stared at the back of the horse's head as they rode on and said nothing more. In the end, he put the serious sounding words down as equine logic and took them at face value only.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes expecting to see open sky or treetops. He was definitely not expecting to see a roof of any kind, much less what looked like to be a hospital ceiling. He tried to sit up and found that his body wouldn't respond in the slightest. He glanced to the side but all he could make out were blurry shapes since he didn't have his glasses on. _My glasses!_ He thought. He'd had them on when he had released his seal so they were probably nothing more than a shapeless glob of metal somewhere out on that field he had been running through. He tried to shift sideways rather than sit up so that he could at least see more of the room he was in and was rewarded with stabbing pain shooting up the back of his head. _What the…_ he thought. He tried lifting his hand to wipe some sweat off his forehead but his hand wouldn't move. With a bit of a shock he realized he couldn't even feel his hand. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He sighed when he was able to outline his entire body's heat signature.

"You shouldn't be using your energy," a girl said, startling him out of his examination, "Though I must admit it's a good sign that you still can do something after everything you've been through today."

_Well it's definitely not a muggle hospital,_ Harry thought, opening his eyes and shifting his gaze to the left so he could see who was talking. The blurry image didn't help him much, but the trail of yellow falling from the girl's head at least identified her as a blonde. "Where am I?" he asked, trying to ignore the pain that came with talking.

"You shouldn't talk either," she said, walking around to the other side of the bed. "As for your question, you are back in Silanost." Harry blinked trying to understand how he'd ended up back at the castle. "Nar brought you into the stables a couple hours ago. It was a good thing I was walking by too, because Lance and Gwen were about to use their own kind of medicine to try and heal you." The girl put a hand to his forehead then and removed the compress that had been placed there. She placed a new one on his head and the pain that had come with trying to move and talk lessened slightly. "We're just waiting for Raphael to get here," she went on, "before we start to mend you up."

Harry wanted to ask what they were going to do, or even what was wrong with him but the girl had told him not to talk and the pain it had caused him last time made him think twice about disobeying. He tried to move his hands again but they wouldn't budge an inch. He contented himself with trying to picture the girl's face until the sound of footsteps approaching called his attention back to the room.

"Aren't you just a wreck," a new voice said. Harry vaguely recognized that it was Raphael talking, though he had only heard the boy once before. "I'd tell you not to move, but I don't think that will be a problem," the boy went on, sounding quite amused with the whole situation, "seeing as how you've severed your spinal column in three places. Though I'd guess that you should be thankful you did, otherwise you'd actually be feeling all the pain you're in."

"You don't have to make it sound so bad Raphael," the girl said exasperatedly. Harry was still trying to get over the fact that he had severed his spine. He was pretty sure he'd never get out of bed again, much less move about on his own.

"But it is that bad Ariel," the boy responded, thwacking Harry's leg sharply in the process to demonstrate his point. Harry didn't even feel the contact but his ears registered the sound of it.

"Well maybe for now it is," Ariel said, "but that's why we're going to fix him up."

"Just the two of you?" Harry asked, forgetting momentarily the command to avoid talking. He was rewarded with another shot of pain that set his head on fire again.

"Not very bright trying to talk through a broken jaw," Raphael commented dryly as Ariel renewed the wet compress on his forehead again.

"Is there any part of me that's not broken?" Harry asked, moving his mouth as little as possible.

"Not really," Raphael replied cheerily.

"Well instead of discussing all his injuries, why don't you start cleaning them?" Ariel put in. Raphael didn't respond but Harry was fairly sure Raphael had done something immature like sticking his tongue out at her, though without his glasses he couldn't be sure.

_I will be your eyes if you wish,_ Nox said, surprising Harry. The boy had nearly forgotten that the dragon had not gone with Draco, so accustomed he was to the two of them being in the same place.

_How?_ Harry thought back.

_Close your eyes,_ the dragon instructed. Harry did so and found that he was looking at himself lying on a white marble table in the middle of the room. He could see now that the ceiling he had mistaken for a hospital's normal white finish was actually more of the elven castle's stonework. The lights that had appeared to be florescent to him before were now revealed to be a network of tubes that looked like neon but Harry was fairly certain the elves weren't using anything so mundane. Nox was perched at the head of the table that Harry was lying on, and Harry found it a bit disconcerting to be staring at his own body like this. He could see what had prompted Raphael's comment though as he examined his condition. The clothes he had been wearing were ripped, torn and stained with ash and blood. There were odd protrusions all over his body, speaking to all the bones he had broken.

Even as Harry looked over his body, Raphael held his hands a couple centimeters above one of Harry's feet. As he watched, the material under the boy's hands began to disappear, as if it were being worn away into fine sand and then being sucked up silently into the boy's hands. Harry watched, oddly fascinated, as Raphael moved his hands slowly up one leg.

"Wouldn't a proper lady leave at a time like this?" Raphael quipped, pausing halfway up Harry's thigh.

"I'm a healer dolt," Ariel responded, gently tapping Raphael on the forehead to emphasize her point, "and besides," she went on, "he's sleeping now and it's not like I haven't seen this kind of thing before." Harry considered it a good thing that he was apparently asleep because he knew if he'd been in his own body and heard that, Raphael wouldn't be the only one blushing scarlet. The boy didn't comment any more but finished the task at hand. When he had finished Harry realized that the apprentice hadn't just been removing clothing. The process had also removed every spec of dirt, ash, and anything else from his skin. He was pretty sure now that he was cleaner than he ever had been or ever would be again.

"Alright, now that he's clean," Ariel said, moving up next to Raphael, "we can start remaking his bones."

"I can only handle so much in one sitting," Raphael said a little irritably, "let's start with the delicate stuff while I have energy. If we get to his arms and legs right now, all the better. If not, we'll finish later after I've had a break." Harry wasn't exactly sure of how he felt about their conversation. What did they mean by remake bones? Even as he wondered about it, the two apprentices changed position, placing their hands over his neck with their fingers interlaced.

"You know this will hurt him a lot more than if we fixed the rest of him first," Ariel said.

"A little pain never… oh wait… never mind, it does hurt," Raphael laughed merrily at his own joke and set about mending Harry. Harry wondered what exactly they were doing, and no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than his vision changed. It was like looking at an x-ray of his body, though the rest of the room remained the same. In spite of Raphael's accurate description earlier, Harry still found himself shocked at how badly messed up his insides were. Even as he watched though, he saw his spine start to disappear. He was about to have Nox put him back in his own body and tell them to stop whatever it was they were doing, when he noticed that about a centimeter behind the disappearing bones and nerves, new, undamaged tissue was appearing.

The pair worked slowly, moving only a few centimeters down his body every ten minutes. As they progressed further down his abdomen and repaired more and more sections of his spine, Harry became gradually aware of the increasing amount of pain he was feeling. As he watched the central connections being repaired he realized that the rest of his nervous system was screaming in pain. Harry could see his own face contorted in the increasing amounts of pain he was feeling. The pair of apprentices moved from his spine to the rest of his torso, replacing bones methodically one by one. They mended his head next, and then began on his right leg.

"I only… have… enough… for one more limb… right now," Raphael said. The boy was sweating heavily and panting hard. It must have taken him a lot of energy, Harry thought, to cause such a refined and constrained destruction.

"Let's do his left arm then," Ariel said, "so he can at least use a crutch to move around." She too was sweating and looked tired, as if she had been up for many days in a row. Raphael nodded, wiping his hand across his brow and rubbing the sweat off on his trousers. Ten minutes later the boy collapsed onto Harry's chest, having just finished mending the Gryffindor's arm. Ariel reached over to a side table and placed a pair of glasses on it, obviously for when Harry woke up, before picking up the unconscious Raphael and carrying him to a couch. She arranged the apprentice on the sofa before collapsing herself, her head resting on the boy's chest.

_Nox,_ Harry thought frantically, _go find someone to help them!_ Harry blinked as he realized he was once more staring at the blurry ceiling out of his own eyes. He heard the departing chirp from Nox just as the dragon disappeared above him. A few minutes later, the dragon came winging back into the room, chirping excitedly.

"There now what's all the fuss about," someone said following the dragon into the room. "Oh dear me," the woman said, having spotted Harry on the bed and the unconscious forms of Raphael and Ariel on the couch, "those two seem to have pushed themselves too hard again." Harry turned his head to look and found that he was once again looking through Nox's eyes. He immediately recognized Luissiel from that morning and watched as the woman came over to the table and critically examined him. "Well I don't suppose they had enough energy to finish," she said poking at Harry's broken arm and leg. "I'll just set the bones and put a splint on until they're ready to mend you all up." Harry watched the process intently, and for some reason he couldn't place later, he remembered everything the woman did in great detail.

The woman ran her hands gently down the length of Harry's leg with her eyes closed. She applied pressure every so often, and Harry felt his bones slide painfully back into place whenever she did so. When she had finished his leg, she went over to a cabinet in the wall and removed two sticks of wood that were as tall as Harry, and a large roll of bandages. She neatly cut them into smaller pieces with a belt knife and placed four of them around Harry's leg. She cut a slit in the end of one of the sticks and deftly threaded the end of the bandage into the hole. She then wrapped the bandage around his leg, making sure to pass it under the brace so that there was a layer of bandages between the wood and his skin. She added slits to the ends of all the other sticks too and threaded the bandage through each of them in turn. Once they were all threaded, she wrapped the bandage tightly all the way back down his leg, tying it off right above his foot. She then repeated the process for his upper and lower arm, and then fashioned a sling out of the left over bandages.

"Are you awake dear?" She asked kindly, leaning over him to check. Harry blinked groggily and sat up. He hadn't remembered falling asleep while Luissiel had been working. "Well that's good," the woman said, "Come now, stand up and I'll help you dress." Harry was acutely aware of his own nakedness and felt himself blushing heavily as the woman helped him get a pair of white linen trousers on with his splinted leg. She held up a white shirt for him and he slipped his left arm through the sleeve, leaving the front open.

"Why is everything in a hospital white," he said, more to himself than to anyone else.

"So we can tell if you start bleeding somewhere," Luissiel said, "Come now," she went on, handing him a crutch, "I'll take you up to the garden so you can relax some before it's time to go." Harry took the crutch and picked up the glasses from the table before limping after the cook. They made their way through the white marble hallways for a bit until they emerged onto a walkway overlooking the gardens on the first floor.

* * *

So there you have it, that's the last of the original story you'll see. I look forward to your reviews and as always, thanks for putting up with me :).

The new story is titled Harry Potter and the Avatar of Balance and you should be able to search for it in a little while.

P.S. And NO the title does not have anything to do with 's Avatar


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